


Imagine You and Me

by WolfgangRythem



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-22 21:56:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 121,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6095272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfgangRythem/pseuds/WolfgangRythem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Alex is a Hollywood actress and Tobin along with a few other gals are in a band. Alex wants a small break from Hollywood, and decides to attend Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Will Tobin be able to charm the Hollywood actress?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Orleans

**Author's Note:**

> OKKKKKKKKKKKK! So this is the story that I was talking about in the last chapter of A Place to Call Home. I have been working on this story for a solid two months now, and have decided that I am far enough ahead to finally start publishing it. Now before you ask, because I know you will, no I am not giving up on Camp Red Fern. I can't connect the chapters the way I want them to, so that is the reason I haven't put out a chapter for that story in so long. Anyways, I really hope all of you enjoy this story, because I'm having fun writing it. I'm going to publish the first chapter now, a second chapter later tonight (your welcome), and then every few days I will post another chapter. This way I won't run out of the chapter I already have written, and you won't be waiting weeks (or months on some occasions... sorry) for the next chapter. Let me know what you guys think after reading the first and second chapter. If it's positive, you might even get a third chapter tonight to get you guys hooked! Also just putting this out there, this is completely fictional work. Nothing about this story pertains to actual peoples characters except for their names and looks. That is it. Anyways hope you enjoy guys and let me know what you think!

My breathing is steady as the pavement below my feet falls behind me with every step I take. I feel beads of sweat roll down the indent of my spine as I run in the humid Louisiana summer heat. My legs are burning, but I increase my speed and lengthen my stride for the last 3 minutes of my run. My breath comes in quicker intervals as I struggle to breathe through the pain of my legs that are beginning to cramp up. 

I turn onto the oak lined driveway and sprint the last 50 yards. As soon as I reach the end of the driveway I collapse into the grass in the cool shade of an oak tree. My chest is heaving as I try and catch my breath, and sweat drips down my hairline along the back of my neck. I close my eyes and enjoy the small breeze that temporarily reprieves the sweltering heat that makes me feel like I’m baking in an oven. I’ve only closed my eyes for a few minutes but can feel my exhausted body begin to relax and fall asleep. That is until I feel something wet and slimy suddenly wipe it’s self across my face. 

I open my eyes and am face to face with my dog that is trying to lick all the sweat off my face. 

“Ew Dig!” I shout and roll over, but Dig follows and licks the back of my neck. 

“Dig stop!” I say laughing and she does, sitting back on her haunches wagging her tail happily. 

“You are so silly.” I say to her smiling and she wags her tail a few more times before laying down beside me, panting in the late afternoon heat. I rub her black coat as I think back to how I had found Dig. 

Three years ago, I was running a trail in the woods that is behind my house. I had heard a quiet whimpering noise and had found a black lab puppy nestled in a pile of dead leaves. As a dog lover, I instantly picked her up and brought her home, begging my mom to let me keep her. She allowed me to keep Dig as long as I was responsible for training and feeding her. After that day I trained Dig until she knew every trick in the book. Not to brag or anything, but I’m pretty sure I have the coolest dog ever. 

I continue to rub her dark coat as I watch an afternoon thunderstorm begin to brew in the distance. When I feel the breeze pick up and the storm clouds are hovering over me, I stand and begin to make my way inside. I whistle for Dig to follow me, which she does obediently. Dig’s nails clip along the wood floor as she shadows me through the house and upstairs to my room. When I enter my room, I point to the corner and Dig immediately goes to her bed in the corner and lies down. I grab my phone and lay down on the ground, leaning up against the foot of my bed. I open my phone and see that I have a couple of messages.

Kelley: Yo what time are you picking me up tonight?

I glance at the time on my phone and realize that I need to take a shower and get ready quickly. 

Tobin: Be there in 45!

I see the other message is from my mom saying she was going to the grocery store and would be back soon. I toss my phone on my bed before stripping and hopping into the shower. After my shower, I towel dry my hair quickly and slip into black jeans, a grey and black baseball t-shirt, a pair of red vans, and throw on a black snapback as I run out my bedroom door. 

Dig stands up and follows me down the stairs, and I jump onto the banister and slide down. The front door opens and my mom walks in with a few grocery bags right as I hop off the banister. 

“Tobin what have I said about sliding down the bannister?” My mom asks. 

“Mom you’ve been saying this since I was 5. You would think after 16 years you would just let me get away with it.” I say smiling as I take the bags out of her hands and bring them into the kitchen. 

“Yes. I know.” She sighs. 

I place the bags on the counter and grab an apple out of the fruit bowl, taking a bite out of it.

“I gotta run Mom, I’ll see ya tomorrow!” I say kissing her cheek before grabbing another apple and running out the door. 

“You should eat something before you leave!” She calls out chasing after me. 

“I’ll eat something at the bar Mom!” I respond back, grabbing my backpack off the floor before closing the front door. 

I jump off the porch and run to my black Ford Bronco. I love my car. Even though it was way older then me, I thought it was a pretty sweet ride. I start up the engine and begin driving to Kelley’s house that is about 10 minutes away. I leave the windows down and let it cool off the inside of the car while simultaneously drying my still wet hair. When I reach her house I park and honk the horn. Thirty seconds later, Kelley comes running and hops into the car. 

“What’s upppppppp.” She says banging the dashboard. 

“Hey watch it! This is my baby!” I say rubbing the dashboard, before tossing the extra apple at Kelley. 

“Oh please this thing is a tank, nothing can hurt it.” Kelley rolls her eyes and takes a huge bite of the granny smith. 

“Where’s Kling?” I ask looking around. 

“She already headed down there with the gear. She said she wanted to set up early.” Kelly says shrugging her shoulders before putting on her seatbelt. 

“Well alright then. What about Ash and Pinoe?” I ask as I pull onto the road and head towards I-10. 

“I think Kling picked them up on the way.”

“How come you didn’t just ride with Kling?” 

“Um I think you forget how much energy she has… Remember Tobs. You’ve only been back a couple of weeks and have yet to be in a car with her for an hour.” Kelley states staring at me with her eyebrows raised. 

“True.” I chuckle out. “Man I really did miss you guys this summer.” 

“Yeah we missed you to bud, but we were mostly jealous that you got to spend 3 months in fucking Hawaii!!” Kelley exclaims causing me to laugh.

“It’s not my fault my grandparents live there!” I shout in defense. 

“Yeah but now you’re even tanner then usual, you got to be at the beach every day, you got to learn how to surf, you got to go snorkeling, hiking, eat some awesome food, swim with dolphins and sea turtles, probably hooked up with some local hotties, you came back even more chill, wrote some damn good songs, you got-“ Kelley rattles off while counting her fingers. 

“Ok Kell I get it. You’re super jealous of my summer.” I say laughing. 

“You got that damn right. I was working at the local park coaching little league, melting in this fucking hot humid swamp.” She says sweeping her arms out towards the actually swamp that was under the bridge we were on. 

“Even though Hawaii was awesome, it wasn’t like being home. I missed it. The fucking hot humid swamp and all.” I say smirking at her. 

“Yeah I’m glad you’re back. Gosh the summer passed so quickly though. I mean we go back to Tulane in 3 days! 3 days!” 

“I know it’s crazy man. Not as crazy as New Orleans tonight though. Damn theres a lot of traffic.” I say as I try to turn into the right lane so I could get off at my exit. 

“Welcome back Tobs.” Kelley says chuckling. 

“So how are you and Ann?” I ask wondering about the girl that Kelley mentioned that she met this summer. 

“Pretty fantastic actually. I think I’m I love Tobs.” She says looking at her lap and blushing. 

“Seriously?” 

“Yeah. She’s so amazing like, I can’t even describe her properly. She’s beautiful, smart, funny, caring, she’s just ugh so amazing.” Kelley rambles. 

“I’m happy for you Kel. I really am. It’s about time you found someone.” I say thinking of the non-existent romance in my life. 

“Thanks Tobin. What about you? Anybody caught your heart yet?”

“No.” I sigh. I hadn’t been in a relationship for 2 years now. Ever since Kendal I hadn’t allowed myself to become close to anyone. 

“You will Tobs. This year, I can just feel it.” Kelley says bouncing in her seat. 

“Shut up.” I chuckle.

“Look I know Kend-“

“Can we not talk about her.” I grit out through my teeth. 

“Ok ok. But seriously Tobin. Someday you’re going to wake up and you’ll be in a house in a comfy bed under a nice soft quilt you dragged your girlfriend into a store to get and you’ll turn over and she’ll be sleeping and you’ll remember back when you were in college when you couldn’t get a text back and you got stood up and cheated on and heartbroken and miserable and about to give up on love. And I promise you when you see the love of your life with drool on her chin and bedhead you’ll be okay because she is the most beautiful sight and you’re happy and its okay to be sad right now because someday you’ll have that. I promise.” Kelley strongly states. 

“Damn Kelley.” I say glancing over at her and she just shrugs her shoulders before looking out the window.

“I just worry about you is all.” 

I place my hand on top of her head for a moment, silently thanking her for caring before turning my attention back to the road. 

15 minutes later I’m parking on Ursulines Avenue and we begin our short walk to Abby’s Pub. Since it’s only 5 the place only has a couple of people filtering around the place as music plays over the speakers. Upon walking in, I go straight for the bar where a tall woman is restocking the alcohol on the shelves. 

“I heard you were in need of a band tonight.” I call out once reaching the bar and watch as the woman whirls around and a smile lights up her face.

“Tobin fucking Heath! Come here you!” She shouts out in joy and I laugh before hopping over the bar. She picks me up in a bear hug and swings me around with my feet hanging in the air. 

“Its nice to see you too Abby.” I mumble into her shoulder. 

“Damn what has it been? 3 months? Feels like you’ve been gone for 3 years!” She says clapping me on my shoulder. 

“I know I’m excited for everything to be back to normal.” 

“Same here. People come in here asking all the time when you guys will be playing again.” 

“Well. We’re back.” I say smiling as I see the rest of the band setting up the stage. 

“I’m gonna go make sure they’re setting everything up right!” I say to Abby. 

“Alright we’ll catch up later.”

“Preferably over one of your oyster poboys!” I say pointing to her walking backwards.

“You’ve got it kid!” 

I walk over to the stage and hop on it, inspecting everything to make sure it’s set up right. 

“We remember how you like it, not to worry.” Kling says rolling her eyes. 

“I wasn’t doi-“ I begin to protest but am cut off my Ashlyn.

“Yes you were dude, don’t even try to lie.” She says and I scrunch up my nose in annoyance. 

“Whatever.” I mumble under my breath and they all laugh at me. 

I continue watching everyone get their stations set up the way they like it. Ashlyn was setting up the drums, Kelley was tuning her bass, and Kling was setting up all the other instruments. Kling could play the banjo, piano, harmonica, ukulele, tambourine, and many other instruments. Kling is, luckily for us, musically inclined. Every since she was little she had an interest in music, and would teach herself how to play different instruments. Even though Kelley and Kling lived together, Kelley was only ever good at the guitar. Pinoe played any brass instrument and some woodwind instruments. Not all of ours songs included brass or woodwind instruments so she was a backup singer along with Kelley. 

I pick up my Fender Stratocaster guitar out of the case and strum a few lines. We warm up and get everything in tune, and by the time we are done the place is pretty packed. Looking around I take in a deep breath, finally feeling at home. 

“Hey everybody! We’re Wolfgang Rythem and hopefully we’ll be playing some tunes that you guys will actually like.” I say smiling causing chuckles to emerge from the crowd. I turn back and look at Ash giving her the go ahead to get this party started, and just like that Wolfgang Rythem is back in business.


	2. The Pub

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2 as promised! Also guys I'm going to be putting the links of the songs above the song lyrics. If you want to listen to it as you read it may make sense especially when it comes to solo parts, but you don't have to. Also all the songs that they sing, we are going to pretend that they wrote them.

**Alex’s POV**

 

2 weeks earlier

 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” My agent asked while rubbing the stress lines out of his forehead.

 

“Yes. I’m 20 years old for crying out loud. I want to have a normal life for at least a short amount of time.”

 

“Alex, you are the next big actress and you want to take a break to go to college??” He asked incredulously.

 

“Look Tony we just finished filming American Flyer, that wont come out for a few months. The Endless Summer is still in theatres so there isn’t a huge demand for me right now. I am asking for 9 months off. I will still do press conferences and interviews over the phone and Skype. But for 9 months I want to have my last bit of freedom before I am sucked into the crazy world of Hollywood.” I say starting to get worked up.

 

“Ok I get it but your safety is an issue.”

 

“My safety?! Tony I’m going to a private school in Louisiana.”

 

“What about Servando??”

 

“What about him?”

 

“Well have you talked about this with him?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And what did he say?”

 

“He hated it.” I say rolling my eyes at the thought of my pompous boyfriend. I was on my last straw with him. Before I had gotten famous, he was the sweetest guy in the world. Now, he ordered me around like he owned me.

 

“Another reason you shouldn’t leave!”

 

“I need a break from him Tony.”

 

“What? The media loves you two! What are they going to say when they find out you are going to Louisiana? You’re moving away from everything that you know.”

 

“That’s the whole point! I need to breathe! The past year has been chaotic! Much less the last few months! I can’t be here anymore! Everything reminds me of them, I’m suffocating in my own home! I need to get away!” I say emotionally, tears starting to cloud my eyes.

 

Tony stared at me for a minute before finally speaking.

 

“I want an interview at least once a week and every Sunday you will call me to update me on what you are doing.” He says pointing a finger at me and I screech running around the desk, pulling him into a bear hug. Tony may be my agent, but he was like a second dad to me.

 

“You wont regret this!” I say beaming.

 

2 weeks later I find myself having difficulty breathing in the 100% humidity that Louisiana has to offer. I’m staying at the Ritz-Carlton on Canal Street for right now until we are allowed to move into the dorms the next day. Tony lists everything off that I need to do before kissing my forehead and leaving so he could catch up with some old friends who were agents here.

 

“Alex.” He says stopping at the door.

 

“Yeah Tony?”

 

“Go have fun tonight kid.” He says smiling and walking out the door.

 

When he’s gone I fall back onto the bed, smiling in disbelief that this is actually happening. I hop up and look out the window at the city that would be my home for the next 9 months. I look at the time on my phone and notice its almost prime time to be out in the city.

 

30 minutes later I’m looking at my disguise in the floor length mirror.

 

“Perfect.” I mumble to myself while eyeing the clothing I had chosen.

 

I had on an old 49ers baseball cap, a white t-shirt with a dark blue hoodie over it, and a pair of black skinny jeans. No one would recognize me in this I thought to myself cheerfully. I’ve been under a tremendous amount of stress lately with work, and needed to blow off some steam before I exploded. This was the first time I was going out in months. Hopefully I could find a bar that no one would know me in. Not to toot my own horn but people recognize me wherever I go.

 

Ever since I starred in the most recent Nicholas Sparks movie, I couldn’t go anywhere without people wanting an autograph or picture of me. In the beginning it was pretty cool to be recognized. I mean my whole life I had aspired to be a top actress, but now that I’m there, I don’t really enjoy all of the spotlight that I receive when I’m trying to live a normal life. I mean can a girl buy a box of tampons and some chocolate without getting her picture taken??

 

So tonight I was breaking out of the bubble that has been surrounding me the past few months and going out. I call a cab to pick me up and he arrives a few minutes later.

 

“Where to Miss?” He asks while looking at me through his mirror.

 

“Um I don’t really know. Where is the nearest bar?” I ask and he begins to chuckle.

 

“Darling, your in New Orleans, there are a hundred bars just on this block.”

 

“Well where is a bar that’s low key but has a good atmosphere?

 

“I’ve got the perfect place in mind.” He says and takes off down the street.

I notice as we are going down Canal Street we pass up Bourbon Street.

 

“It’s not on Bourbon?”

 

“Mam I thought you said you wanted to go somewhere low key? And trust me when I say Bourbon street is not low key Mrs. Morgan.” He says and I gawk at him, not believing this older man recognized me.

 

“How do you know who I am?”

 

“Miss I’ve driven hundreds of celebrities when they are in the city. My old eyes have gotten pretty good at seeing through disguises, plus I just saw one of your movies. But don’t worry your secret is safe with me.” He says sending a gentle smile my way which I return.

 

“So what brings you to the Big City? Business or pleasure?”

 

“Um actually Tulane.” I chuckle, actually enjoying the conversation with my taxi driver for once.

 

“Well good for you kid! My grand daughter plays soccer there as well!”

 

“That’s cool maybe I’ll run into her on campus.”

 

“Maybe, but our conversation is coming to a close because we are here Miss.” He says.

 

I look out the window but don’t see a bar in sight.

 

“Um are you sure we are in the right place?”

 

“Of course! Look I took you to a spot only the locals know about. Its called Abby’s Pub. You go down that street take a right at the first alley you see. You’ll go over a very small bridge and then you’ll be at the entrance.” He says. I look at him like he’s crazy and he chuckles at me.

 

“I promise its safe. Now go have fun! Call me when you’re done.” He says handing me a card with his number on it.

 

I smile and thank the man before stepping out of the cab. I start to follow his directions and soon enough it leads me to a large wooden door with Abby’s Pub in faded red letters above it. My phone starts ringing and I look down to see who it is. When I see Servando’s name pop up, I immediately silent it, not wanting to deal with his crap at the moment. Sighing, I pull open the door and am instantly hit with the sound of music and a scent that is practically mouthwatering because it smells so delicious. The place is dimly lit except for where a band is playing on a stage. The bar has an overall welcoming atmosphere and I smile at the thought of the old cab driver that brought me here. I can already feel the tension leaving my body.

 

I squeeze through the crowded room to the large wooden bar that takes up the entire side of one of the walls. I sit down on one of the stools and wait patiently for the bartender. My eyes roam around the room and land on the band playing a couple yards away. I don’t recognize the tune, but am captivated by the lead singer.

 

All 4 members of the band are female and are good looking, but there’s something about that lead singer that interest me. She’s super tan, and her light brown hair, with natural highlights under her backwards snapback, looks awesome because she’s been in the sun so much. I watch her forearm muscles as she strums the guitar, and her voice is amazing.

 

“They’re pretty good aren’t they?” a voice behind me says.

 

I spin around and see the bartender smiling at me.

 

“Yeah they are actually.” I say smiling back.

 

“Yeah they play here like twice a week, sometimes more. Shame you came so late they are almost done.” She says looking at her watch. “ Anyways what can I get for ya?” she asks with a little hop in her step.

 

“What do you suggest?”

 

“A hurricane.” She says with her eyes lighting up.

 

“Ok I’ll have that.” I say chuckling.

 

“Coming right up!” She says walking off, not even giving me the chance to pull out my fake ID. The band finishes the song they were playing, but only takes a 10 second break before beginning the next song. The music is really catchy and I start to sway as the music washes over me, but when the lead singer, who also happened to be the guitarist and is gorgeous, starts singing I’m bewitched. She strums her guitar along with the rest of the band, biting her lip, before beginning to sing.

 (Link to the song [Sunday Morning](https://youtu.be/S2Cti12XBw4))

 

**_Sunday morning rain is falling_ **

**_Steal some covers share some skin_ **

**_Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable_ **

**_You twist to fit the mold that I am in_ **

**_But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do_ **

**_And I would gladly hit the road get up and go if I knew_ **

**_That someday it would lead me back to you_ **

**_That someday it would lead me back to you_ **

****

**_That may be all I need_ **

**_In darkness she is all I see_ **

**_Come and rest your bones with me_ **

**_Driving slow on Sunday morning_ **

**_And I never want to leave_ **

****

**_Fingers trace your every outline_ **

**_Paint a picture with my hands_ **

**_Back and forth we sway like branches in a storm_ **

**_Change the weather still together when it ends_ **

****

**_That may be all I need_ **

**_In darkness she is all I see_ **

**_Come and rest your bones with me_ **

**_Driving slow on Sunday morning_ **

**_And I never want to leave_ **

 

A girl with short blonde hair begins to play the trumpet with an incredible amount of energy. The girl behind the piano begins jamming out and the blondie struts over to her while still blowing away on her trumpet. The lead singer, who I am now naming Hottie, walks over strumming her guitar while smiling and laughing in joy at the rest of her band mates before moving back to the microphone. I don’t notice that the bartender had set down my drink until I felt it bump my arm. I grab it and quickly spin around so as not to miss anything.

 

**_But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do_ **

**_Sunday morning rain is falling and I'm calling out to you_ **

**_Singing someday it'll bring me back to you_ **

**_Find a way to bring myself back home to you_ **

****

**_May not know_ **

****

**_That may be all I need_ **

**_In darkness she is all I see_ **

**_Come and rest your bones with me_ **

**_Driving slow on Sunday morning_ **

**_Driving slow_ **

****

**_Oh, yeah, yeah..._ **

****

**_There is a flower in your hair._ **

**_I'm a flower in your hair._ **

****

**_Oh, yeah, yeah, oh_ **

****

As soon as the song is over, Hottie takes off her snapback and wipes away at the sweat on her forehead before placing it back on and smiling at the crowd.

 

“Alright ladies and gents, this is our last song of the night. So those of you who’ve heard it, please feel free to join in.” Hottie says before turning back and fiddling with her guitar for a second.

 

“1, 2, 1, 2, 3.” She counts off before breaking into song.

 (Link to song [Waiting On the World to Change](https://youtu.be/oBIxScJ5rlY)) 

**_Me and all my friends_ **

**_We're all misunderstood_ **

**_They say we stand for nothing and_ **

**_There's no way we ever could_ **

****

**_Now we see everything that's going wrong_ **

**_With the world and those who lead it_ **

**_We just feel like we don't have the means_ **

**_To rise above and beat it_ **

****

**_So we keep waiting_ **

**_Waiting on the world to change_ **

**_We keep on waiting_ **

**_Waiting on the world to change_ **

****

**_It's hard to beat the system_ **

**_When we're standing at a distance_ **

**_So we keep waiting_ **

**_Waiting on the world to change_ **

****

**_Now if we had the power_ **

**_To bring our neighbors home from war_ **

**_They would have never missed a Christmas_ **

**_No more ribbons on their door_ **

**_And when you trust your television_ **

**_What you get is what you got_ **

**_Cause when they own the information, oh_ **

**_They can bend it all they want_ **

****

**_That's why we're waiting_ **

**_Waiting on the world to change_ **

**_We keep on waiting_ **

**_Waiting on the world to change_ **

****

**_It's not that we don't care,_ **

**_We just know that the fight ain't fair_ **

**_So we keep on waiting_ **

**_Waiting on the world to change_ **

****

The song was pretty catchy and I was surprised this bar band was this good. I looked around while sipping on my drink, which by the way was amazing, and notice a lot of the crowd knew the song and actually were joining in on singing. I even found myself humming when it came to the chorus. When the crowd sang with the band, the lead singer would break out into a smile as she sang, showing off her killer smile. During the break in the song, Hottie looks around the room and makes eye contact with me. Never have I felt that kind of feeling rush through my body with just a look. We held eye contact for a good 10 seconds before she winks at me and focuses back on the music. I take in a deep breath and watch as she breaks out into a guitar solo biting her lip. Damn. She is so freaking attractive.

 

**_And we're still waiting_ **

**_Waiting on the world to change_ **

**_We keep on waiting waiting on the world to change_ **

**_One day our generation_ **

**_Is gonna rule the population_ **

**_So we keep on waiting_ **

**_Waiting on the world to change_ **

****

**_We keep on waiting_ **

**_Waiting on the world to change_ **

****

As the last chords were played a round of applause starts.

 

“Thank you guys! This is Wolfgang Rythem signing out, we’ll see you later!” Hottie says before hopping off the stage with her guitar in hand, and walking through a back door. The bartender comes over to see if I’m doing ok and starts talking to me.

 

“So what brings you to New Orleans? You’re definitely not a local with that 49ers cap you got on.” She says chuckling, flipping her long dark braid over her shoulder.

 

“Yeahhhh I’m not. I’m actually going to Tulane and just got here.”

 

“Oh I go there as well! Maybe we’ll see each other on campus. Welcome to the city that never gets boring.” She says smiling. “It was nice meeting you but my shift is over.” She says and waves before walking off.

 

I finish the last few sips of my drink and turn around to observe the bar. This really was a pretty chill place to hang out at, I mean no one had recognized me yet!

 

“Can I get you a refill?” I hear from behind me and whirl around to face the new bartender. I am surprised when I’m face to face with Hottie.

 

“Hi.” I say and instantly feel stupid, causing my cheeks to redden.

 

“Hi.” She repeats smirking at me, and I take in the way her bright brown eyes light up mischievously. God she’s gorgeous. Ok Morgan you’ve got this. Play. Cool.

 

“Aren’t you the singer in the band that just finished playing?” I ask and she chuckles nodding her head.

 

“Yeah I usually bartend the last few hours the bar is open after our gig is over.” She says as she takes my glass and starts to refill it.

 

“Well you are very good, and I’m not just saying that to be nice. You guys are amazing.” I say and watch as her smile grows.

 

“Thank you. We really appreciate that.” She says and then stares at me for a moment. “You aren’t from around here are you?” She asks squinting her eyes at me while passing me back my glass.

 

“You know you are the second bartender to ask me that tonight.” I say placing my elbows on the bar and leaning closer, taking a sip out of my glass. “What makes you think I’m not from here??” I challenge.

 

“Well for one, you’re wearing a 49ers hat. No true girl from Louisiana would be caught dead wearing that, especially in the city of the Saints. Plus your accent is different, and your tan. I’m going to have to say you’re from the West.” She says confidently.

 

“Damn. You’re good. California.” I say smiling and she pumps her fist in victory.

 

“Yes! I knew I was right! So what made you come all the way from California to Louisiana?” She asks.

 

I’m about to answer her question when someone whistles to get her attention.

 

“Guess I should do my job.” She says tilting her head to the customer.

 

“Better get to it.” I tease and she smiles at me before turning around.

 

I take small sips out of my drink and watch Hottie interacting with her other customers, giving out fist bumps and laughing openly. She looked like she had no worry in the world, and I wondered what that felt like. I was pulled from my thoughts by a tap on the shoulder. I spin my head around and am met with a handsome frat looking boy.

 

“Hey.” He smiled, showing off a dimple and straight white teeth, which I’m sure made most girls swoon.

 

“Hey.” I reply back.

 

“You are very beautiful.”

 

“Thank you.” I say trying to be polite.

 

“How about a dance?”

 

“Um no thank you.” I say turning around to face the bar and Hottie makes eye contact with me, but she’s busy helping someone right now.

 

“Why not? Come on darling one dance!” He drawls placing a hand on my arm.

 

“I’m not interested.” I say spinning around and looking at him.

 

“Come on you won’t regret it.” He says now trying to pull me off my stool.

 

“I sa-“

 

“Hey! Are you deaf? She said no.” A hard voice says from behind me and I turn and see Hottie leaning over the bar with her jaw clenched.

 

“Mind your own business.” The guy sneers before smiling back at Alex.

 

“Wh-“

 

“Dude walk away. Now.” She says.

 

“Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it.” He says staring at Hottie, with his hand still on my arm. She clenches her jaw again before looking over both of our heads.

 

“Joey!” She yells and motions with her hand for a big beefy guy to come over.

 

“Will you escort this jackass out, he’s bothering my friend.” She says to Joey.

 

“What?! You can’t kick me out?!” The guy raged.

 

“Um yes I can buddy. Thanks Joey!” Tobin says as Joey leads the guy out.

 

“This is fucking bullshit!” The guys shouts while being led out. I observe Hottie watch Joey lead the guy out of the bar. As soon as he is pushed out the door she turns her attention to me.

 

“I’m sorry about that douchebag.” She says.

 

“It’s ok, thank you for that. Seriously.” I say. “I am so sick of guys always hitting on me. Sometimes I would like to go somewhere without getting hit on and just relax!” I vent and her face turns from understanding to disappointment.

 

“Oh. Ok well um I hope you enjoyed drinks. They’re on the house.” She stutters blushing and rubbing the back of her neck before walking away.

 

“Shit.” I mumble under my breath and face palm myself. I sigh and grab a napkin and scribble on it quickly with the lipstick from my purse.

 

_Thank you for the fabulous night of music and company. I really enjoyed talking to you._

_-Cali girl_

I put the napkin on the bar and lay a 50 on top of it. I look around for Hottie but she’s nowhere in sight. Sighing, I walk out of the bar, surprisingly disappointed that I couldn’t say goodbye to a girl I had just met.


	3. Roommates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have been really nice with the comments so here is the next chapter. The next one I may post today but chapter won't be out for a few days though. Sorry but I don't want to run out of chapters and leave you guys hanging for weeks. Hope you enjoy!

I walked into the dorms with my suitcase and duffle bag with Tony following hesitantly behind me with the rest of my luggage. I check in at the desk and I see the girl’s eyes widen in recognition when I say my name, but she doesn’t act on it. 

“Hi my name is Ali Krieger and I’ll be your resident advisor for the first semester. Here is your key to your dorm room, number 310. There is a meeting tonight in the lobby at 7 to go over the rules here blah blah blah. I hope you enjoy your stay here!” She says waving before helping out the next person. 

We walk up the 2 flights of stairs and I chuckle when I hear Tony wheezing behind me. 

“A little out of breath.” I tease.

“Shut up before I change my mind about this whole college thing.” 

We reach room 310 and open it. My roommate obviously is not here yet because the room is completely empty. I decided to take the bed with the window right next to it. I drop my bags on top of the bed and spin around to inspect the room I would be living in for the next few months. 

The walls were a light blue color and the paint was peeling in several places. In the far left corner of the ceiling there was an old water stain. The carpet looked like it was put there in the 80’s. Overall it was a normal old college dorm. It was perfect. 

Tony looks around the room and glances at his watch. 

“I gotta go or I’m going to miss my flight to LA.” He says and I walk to him to give him a hug. I breathe in his minty cigar scent that I had become so accustomed to. 

“I’ll see you around kid.” He says patting the top of my head and just looking at me for a second before clearing his throat and walking towards the door. I watch as the only actual adult in my life walks out of the door. 

Sighing, I whirl around and look at all the bags I have to unpack. I’ve unpacked all my clothes and am making my bed when I hear a noise at the door. I turn around at exactly the same time as someone managed to open the door and fall in with all of their bags. 

“Shit.” I hear her mumble under her breath and I go over to help her up.

“Thank you. I can be a bit of a klutz sometimes. My mom always tells me to-” she stops rambling when she looks up finally. 

“OH MY GOD! You’re Alex Morgan! Oh my god!” She says looking star struck but then immediately shakes her head. 

“Hold on. Give me like 30 seconds to freak out and then I promise I’ll never do it again. Cool?” She says holding out her pinky finger to me. I grin and actually take it. As soon as our pinkies disconnect, she bombards me with questions. 

“Are you actually going here? I can’t believe you’re my roommate! Are you done being an actress? What’s it like being you? How on earth do you get your hair that’s shiny? Is it cool to live in LA? You’re boyfriend is seriously hot! What are the other actors like?” She says in one breath and then takes a deep inhale, closing her eyes. When she opens them she looks calm and then gives me a genuine smile. 

“Sorry about that. If I didn’t do that I’d probably annoy the hell out of you the rest of the year. Seriously. I promise not to fan girl. You know what lets just start over actually.” She says and walks out the door before I can say anything. She walks in 2 seconds later and acts like she’s just met me.

“Oh hi you must be my roommate. I’m Kelley and you are?” She asks and I can’t help but bust out laughing at her goofy act. 

“Alex, nice to meet you Kelley.” I respond shaking her hand. 

“Alright cool nice to meet you Alex. I’m from here. Well not here here, I live about an hour a way. Where are you from?” She asks as she starts unzipping her suitcase. 

“C’mon Kelley, I know you know where I’m from.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to assume things. I want to be your friend Alex. Not just because you’re famous.” She says shrugging her shoulders. “Although it is pretty sweet that my roommate is a superstar, not gonna lie. But I wanna be your friend because of how cool you acted when I basically attacked you with questions 5 minutes ago. So can we pretend that we are two girls who have never heard of each other before and are trying to get to know one another?” She asked me with a sincere look in her eyes.

“Yeah we can do that.” I saw while internally thinking that I may have found a new friend. 

\-------

 

Kelley and I talked the entire time that we unpacked. She talked about all the different things that we can do on campus and around New Orleans, and she promises to show me around the city. I tell her what LA is like and she seems really interested. I learned she’s never left the south and has always wanted to go to California. I tell her whenever we have a break that she can totally come back with me. She also tells me that she’s on the Tulane soccer team and plays in a band, and then something in my head clicks. 

“I knew you looked familiar!!” I say snapping my fingers. “You were at that bar called Abby’s Pub playing the other night!” I didn’t immediately recognize her because I was so focused on watching Tobin, that I didn’t pay much attention to the rest of the band. 

“Woh! You were there?! No way!” Kelley exclaims.

“Yeah you guys are really good!” 

“Wow thanks Alex! That means a lot coming from you.” Kelley states. 

By the time we both are done setting all of our things up, our stomachs our growling for food. Kelley glances at her watch and grimaces. 

“Ugh the meeting is in like 15 minutes but I’m starving. You want to skip it?” Kelley says eagerly. 

“I don’t know…I feel like we should go to it.”

“Oh come on Alex, live a little. Plus I know exactly what they are going to say so I’ll just fill you in.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ll tell you if you ditch the meeting with me for food.” She says swinging her car keys in her hand tauntingly. 

“Ugh fine! But only because I’m starving!”

“Yes!” She says jumping up and down in place. 

We run down the stairs and I’m walking towards the main entrance when Kelley grabs my hand and pulls me in the opposite direction. 

“No not that way Morgan. We’ll get caught by Ali, we have to go through the back door. Ali is cool and all, she’s on the soccer team, but she would make me sit through the meeting just so she could laugh at me.” I follow her down a hallway and out the back door where only a couple of cars are parked. 

“How do you know all this stuff?” I ask curiously. 

“This isn’t my first year living in the dorms.” She states while we climb into her car and she starts driving. 

“Oh did you like living in the dorms that much last year?”

“What?! No! Me and my friends were looking at renting this house right off of campus. It was perfect Alex! But a couple of football players were willing to pay extra to take it from us. So we missed out on the perfect house and by that time all of the affordable houses were gone.” She explained. 

“Wow that was pretty shitty of them.”

“Your telling me. Oh hey is it cool that those friends I just mentioned met us for some grub? I promise they are super chill people.”

“Yeah that’s cool! I have to make friends eventually right?” I say laughing. 

“Awesome! Are poboys fine with you?”

“A what?”

“A poboy.”

“What’s a poboy?” I ask and at this Kelley’s jaw drops and she stares at me for a couple of seconds. Thank god we were already at a stoplight. 

“You’ve never had a poboy before?”

“Nope.”

“Are you allergic to shellfish?”

“No.”

“Then we are getting you a freaking shrimp poboy!” She says bouncing up and down in her seat. 

“What is a poboy??” I ask giggling. 

“Heaven on earth. Basically you’re gonna have a food orgasm.” Kelley states before pulling into a parking lot. We hop out of the car and walk into the small joint.

It wasn’t a very big restaurant, 30 people would fit in it maybe. Kelley walks up to the counter and orders 2 shrimp poboys and a large order of cheese fries with jalapeños on the side. 

“I don’t know if you like jalapeños or not, but they are AMAZINGGG on these fries.” She says practically drooling on herself. 

We grab a table in the corner and wait for our name to be called. We are sitting for maybe a minute when someone suddenly calls out to Kelley. 

“Hey Kel!” 

Two girls are waving at Kelley, but order before sauntering over with large smiles on their faces. One of the girls was so tiny I swear she was 5 foot flat, the other however was a tall blonde with tattoos completely covering one arm. 

“Hey guys this is my roommate Alex. That’s Kling and Ashyln.” Kelley introduces everyone. 

“Alex…. Have we met before? You look so familiar.” Kling asks.

“I was at Abby’s Pub watching you guys play last night.” I say when I realize Kling was the pianist and Ashlyn was the drummer from the previous night. 

“She probably looks familiar because she’s Alex Morgan.” Kelley says nonchalantly. 

“That’s it!” Ash says snapping her fingers. “Well it’s nice to meet you Alex. I promise not to start fan girling over you.” Ashlyn chuckles. 

“Only because she is in the midst of trying to woo someone.” Kling says giving Ash’s shoulder a push.

“Shut up.” Ash says pushing her back, with a slight blush on her face. 

“But really Alex, we wont bother you and we’ll try not to let anyone else harass you. A friend of Kelley’s is a friend of ours.” Kling says nodding her head. 

“Wow you guys acted a lot calmer then her.” I chuckle, pointing my thumb at Kelley. Kelley gives me a slap on the shoulder to silence me causing Kling and Ash to bust into laughter. 

“Roomie code Alex! Don’t every tell these two anything embarrassing about me!” Kelley complains and the other two continue laughing. 

“Sorry! I have now been informed.” I say raising my hands in defense. 

Kelley is about to respond but her name is called for our food. She returns shortly with two long sandwiches and a huge plate of cheese fries, with Kelley’s beloved jalapeños on the side. She places my sandwich in front of me and I just stare at it. The sandwich bread was long and looked like a mixture of fluffy and crunchy, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise were spilling out of the sandwich, and fried golden shrimp were stuffed into the sandwich to the point that it was overflowing on to the plate. 

“It’s not going to bite Alex.” Kling jokes. 

“Hardee har har. No I’ve just never seen a sandwich this big!” I exclaim.

“Yeah it’s great isn’t it?” Ash says as she returns with Kling and her own sandwich. 

“I bet you don’t see sandwiches like this in LA. Just eat it Lex.” Kelley says through a mouthful of jalapeño cheese fries. 

I pick up the poboy like all the other girls at the table are holding it, and take a large bite. 

“Oh my god.” I moan through the food in my mouth. “This is so good!”

“She’s never had a poboy before.” Kelley explained shaking her head and the two girls whirl their heads around to look at me like I was crazy. 

“Well. Welcome to New Orleans!” Ash said after a long pause with a big grin. 

That night I fall asleep with a full belly and a smile on my face. This whole college thing is looking like a really good idea to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter Tobin and Alex will have some interaction! Promise!


	4. Mythology

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this only because Goose1713, anon, anjer, jojo2chen, and many others(these are just the ones that come to mind) have been loyal fans of mine since the beginning. I don't thank you guys for commenting enough which is a shame because that's one of the main reasons why I continue to write. Each comment that one of you leaves, makes my day brighter. So thank you. I hope that I will continue to write chapters/stories that you guys like.

I’m woken up to something suddenly hitting me in the face. I open my eyes and see Kelley is standing over me with a pillow.

“Alex wake up we’re gonna be late!”

“What? No we aren’t.” I croak and reach over for my phone. “Oh shit we are!”  
I exclaim when I see the time. 

I jump out of bed and begin throwing clothes on. I hurry and brush my teeth and hair, and run out of the door with an apple in my hand, Kelley right behind me. 

“Where is your first class?” She asks as she pulls her hair into a messy bun. 

“Mythology in Walters.” I say reading my schedule.

“Ooo I took that last year! It’s really cool, the teacher pairs you up with someone and you have to do all sorts of assignments and projects together. So pray that you get someone good. Anyways Walters is that way and I’ll see you later. Have fun!” Kelley shouts while running in the opposite direction. 

On the way to class my phone rings and I see that it’s Servando, sighing I answer the call. 

“Hey.”

“Hey baby how’s the swamp?”

“Pretty good so far. I met th-“

“Listen babes when are you going to realize this was a bad idea and come home?? Directors are begging you to come in and audition for roles. Just come back already.”

“Servando I am taking a break. I feel suff-“

“Look why don’t I come down in a few weeks. Then you’ll see what you’ve been missing and come home. A few weeks should be enough to clear your head right??”

“Serv-“

“Alright I’ll book a flight to be there after fall break? Sounds good? Awesome! See ya then sugar lips!” He says and hangs up before I can even respond back. Letting out an annoyed sigh, I place my phone back into my pocket. 

I hurry to my class and find a seat in the back of class so as not to draw attention. I got there 10 minutes early so I keep my head down as I wait for class to begin. No one sits next to me, thank goodness, and I let out a sigh of relief when the teacher begins talking. 

“Hello class my name is Dr. Raja and this is Mythology 103. I’d like to get started by get-“ She is stating but is interrupted by a tan girl running into the class room. 

“Hello Mrs. Heath, nice of you to join us.” Dr. Raja says and the girl smiles apologetically. When she turns to look for a spot to sit I get a good look at her face and realize it’s Hottie.

As she scans the room for somewhere to sit she spots me in the back and a small smile crosses her face. She makes her way back to where I am and plops down into the seat next to me. I can feel her looking at me while Dr. Raja is going over the syllabus. I turn my head and look at her with my eyebrows raised and a slight smirk on my face and am met with a megawatt smile. 

“Hey Cali girl.” She whispers before turning her attention to the front of the class. 

“As I was saying before Mrs. Heath interrupted me, I’d like to start by everyone introducing and saying something about themselves.” Dr. Raja announces. 

“Shit.” I say under my breath, causing Hottie to look at me weird. 

Everyone stands to introduce themselves and then it comes down to me. I stand and a couple of people in the room gasp. 

“Hi I’m Alex Morgan and I’m from LA.” I say and quickly sit back down. The classroom erupts into whispers and doesn’t stop until Hottie stands up. 

“Hi I’m Tobin Heath and I’m on the soccer team.” She says. 

“Alright nice to meet every one. Now what I’m going to do next is assign partners for each of you. You will be with these partners throughout the whole year, and will be working with them constantly.” Dr. Raja says before starting to call out partners. 

“Tobin Heath and Alex Morgan.” She calls out, causing all of the boys in the class to groan and me to sigh in relief. 

“Ok now each of you have 10 minutes to get to know your partner. My advice is to get along or this will be a very long semester for you.” Dr. Raja says as she prepares the slide show. Hottie, well I guess her actually name is Tobin, turns in her desk and looks at me. 

“Hi Alex. I’m Tobin.” She says cheekily while smirking. 

“Nice to meet you Tobin.” I chuckle while shaking her hand. 

“Well I already knew you were from California so you’re gonna have to share a different fact with me.” She laughs and I’m a little thrown off that she doesn’t recognize me. Maybe she’s just being like Kelley and doesn’t want to treat me any differently. 

“Ok well um I love the color pink!” I say excitedly and she throws her head back and groans. 

“Nooooooo. You’re one of those girls.” She says. 

“What are you implying????”

“That you’re very preppy.” 

“I am not preppy!” I say defensively. At this Tobin drops her chin and looks at me with her eyebrows raised. 

“Ok I’m not thatttt preppy.” I giggle and it makes her smile. She’s about to talk again when her forehead furrows and her eyes glance around the classroom. 

“Dude why is everyone staring at you? I mean you’re gorgeous and everything but like, they aren’t looking away.” Tobin leans in and whispers. 

At this I roll my eyes before turning in my seat to see that she was right. The moment I turned around, everyone that was staring at me spun back around in their seats. I let out a huff of annoyance and place my head in my hands. Wait. Did Tobin just say I’m gorgeous?

“You all good Alex?” Tobin says peering at me. 

“Yeah. I just ugh, I’m sick of attention.” I say and her eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. 

“You keep saying that. You said it at the bar and now here. Why do you get so much attention?” She asks and I stare at her for a moment until I realize she really doesn’t know who I am. 

“Um. I’m an actress.” I say quietly. 

“Oh that’s cool! Do you work at the Saenger Theatre or something?” She asks. 

“Nooo.” I say not even knowing what that was. “ I was uh the main actress in The Endless Summer.” I say hesitantly. 

“When did it come out?” Tobin asks with her head tilted to the side. 

“This summer.” I state. 

“Ohhh well that’s why! I was kinda away from civilization for a while. There aren’t many reasons to go the movie theatres when you’re in Hawaii.” She says with a chuckle. 

“Hawaii? You were in Hawaii for the whole summer?” I ask with curiosity. 

“Yeah my grandparents live there. So I decided to help run their beach side bar for the summer.” She says with a shrug of her shoulders.

“That’s so cool! So you got to spend your entire summer on the beach?” 

“Yeah it was pretty rad. And yes if you can’t tell by my tan, I was a total beach bum. The only time I left the beach was to go hiking, long board down the hills, or sleep.” She grins showing off her white teeth. “Anyways back to you. So you’re famous?”

“Yes.”

“Like super famous?”

“Well…”

“Ok so like Rachel McAdams famous or Alicia Silverstone famous?” 

“Ummmm Rachel McAdams after The Notebook.” I say quietly and Tobin’s eyes widen in surprise. 

“Woh! Is that why our class won’t stop staring at you??” 

“Most likely.”

“And is that why you got annoyed at the bar the other night?”

“Yes.”

“Gotcha gotcha. Well it seems like I know a movie star!” She says laughing and I join in. 

“Can I get your autograph?” She leans in with a straight face and I think she is serious until I see a twinkle in her eyes and her lips twitch with the effort to hold back a smile. 

“No.” I giggle. 

“Rats!” She says snapping her fingers. “But seriously that’s pretty cool dude.” 

“Thank you.” I say graciously.

“What made you decide to come to Tulane then?” 

“I got sick of all the attention and felt like I was suffocating. Things happened at home and I needed to get away. So I told my agent that I was taking a break and wanted to be normal for just a small amount of time.” I say softly with a shrug of my shoulders. 

“That’s understandable.” She says nodding her head. 

“Ok class. That’s all there is for today. Pick up a syllabus on your way out.” Dr. Raja calls out to us, letting us leave class early since it was the first day. 

“What are you doing now??” Tobin asks as we walk towards the front of the class to grab a syllabus. 

“Nothing. This was my only class for the day.” I state.

“What? No way! Me too!” She exclaims. “Want to get some grub??” She asks me excitedly. 

“Sure! I don’t really know any places around here so I’m going to have to trust you.” I say as I follow her out of the building. 

“Do you like hamburgers?” She inquires while spinning around dramatically in front of me. 

“Yes. I love hamburgers.” I passionately say. 

“Woo. Thank god. I didn’t know if you were going to be one of those stereotypical kind of girls from LA that only eat salad and drink lemon water.” She says with a shudder.

“No. Trust me I like a greasy burger and fries just as much as anyone else.” I say holding up a finger and her eyes sparkle with excitement. 

“Fantastic. Lets go then! I know the best place to get hamburgers in New Orleans.” She states while walking off and I follow. 

We walk until I see we are headed for an old black car. It’s got a lift on it and looks to be in great condition for how old it is. 

“This is a pretty cool car.” I say as she unlocks it and we hop in. 

“Thanks. Its my baby.” She sighs as she rubs the dashboard before starting up the car. She rolls the windows down and turns the radio up. As we drive down the road I glance sideways at her and take in her appearance. 

Tobin has an arm resting on the window seal and she’s tapping her fingers and nodding her head to the beat of the music. Her long dirty blonde hair whirls and twist around in the car from the open windows. As the main chorus of the songs blares through the radio, she turns to me and belts out the lyrics. In this moment I’ve never met someone, especially one whom I had just met, who seems so free and at ease with themself. I cant help but smile. She notices my staring, and glances at me with a smirk on her face. 

“What?” She asks. 

“Nothing. You just seem so relaxed and free and happy.” I answer. 

“Yeah. People need to relax and enjoy life more. We only get one chance to live. Why waste it stressing and worrying about things that most of us can control. ” She replies with a shrug of her shoulders. I have nothing to say to her comment so I decide to take her advice and lean my head out the window, enjoying the combination of sun and wind on my face. Because of this, I miss the full-blown smile that crosses Tobin’s face when she sees that I’m taking her advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 more today just because you guys are awesome. But then thats it for today! Tomorrow I'll post another chapter. I promiseeeeeeee.


	5. Yo Mamas

Tobin’s POV

 

“What is this place called?” Alex asks me while she stares at the sign in disbelief. 

“Yo Mama’s.” I say as we walk towards it. 

“What in the hell.” I hear Alex murmur under her breath and I laugh. I walk into Yo Mama’s with Alex following closely behind me. 

“Hey Tobs! What’s up!” The receptionist calls out as soon as she sees me. 

“Nothin much JJ. Just brining my new friend to lunch. She’s new in town and doesn’t know many places to eat, so I decided to show her one of the best.” I say with an easy smile. 

“Your friend is Alex Morgan ?!” JJ says with her jaw dropped. 

“You know who she is?” I ask.

“Tobin. Unlike you, the rest of the world does not live under a rock.” JJ deadpans. 

“Damn. Sorry I can be oblivious!” I raise my hands in defense causing Alex to laugh. 

“Whatever Tobin.” She giggles before grabbing two menus and leading us to a booth. 

“Have a good meal, your waiter will be here to help you soon.” JJ says, and stares at Alex until I clear my throat, making her look at me. 

“JJ.” 

“Yeah?”

“She’s a regular person. Stop staring like she’s going to turn into a werewolf.” I joke and the tips of JJ’s ears turn red. 

“Shut up Tobin.” JJ smacks my shoulder and I laugh as she walks away. 

Alex and I sit down and I watch Alex as she takes in the place. Yo Mama’s was very relaxed and old school. It had been here before my parents were old enough to go to. The old wood floors were stained and scuffed from decades of people dancing and spilling their drinks. The walls were covered in thousands of signatures from all of the souls that had walked into the pub. The room was hazy with the combination of sun filtering in through the windows and the lone man smoking at the bar. Alex turns her attention to me and I give her a small smile. 

“It’s a hole in the wall, but I promise the food is amazing.” I say to her and she nods her head as she picks up the menu. She continues to look at her menu but stopped when she realized I wasn’t looking at my own. 

“Are you not going to order anything?” 

“Of course! I know what I want though.” 

“What do you recommend??” She says biting her lip and looking at the menu again. Geeze she is so gorgeous. When I realize what I had just thought I shake my head immediately. Get real Heath. You know she’s gotta have some gorgeous movie star waiting for her back in LA.

“Um you can start with the Yo Mama’s burger, but I personally like the Bacon Burger the best.” 

“Well I’ll get that as we-“ She begins to tell me but is interrupted. 

“Yo Tobin, Alex!” 

I turn and see Kelley and Kling walking towards us with goofy grins on their face. 

“Dude you should have told us you were coming to Yo Mama’s, scoot over Alex, you know I love this place.” Kelley says as she makes Alex scoot over in the booth. Kling sits next to me and she grabs my menu, looking at it quickly before dropping it on the table again. 

“I just got out of calculus. Man my teacher is a B-I-T-C-H.” Kling says as she waves down our waiter. 

“Hey Moe! We’re ready to order.”

“Not yet!” Kelley screeches. 

“Kelley you get the same thing every single time.” I deadpan. 

“Fine. I’ll get the chedder cheese Moe.” Kelley grumbles. 

“I want the Texas Ranger.” Kling says. 

“Alex and I will have the Bacon Burger with fries.” I say.

“Oh and Kelley and I want a root beer. What do you guys want?”

“Lemonade.” Alex and I say at the same time. I look at her and laugh as a small giggle escapes her lips. 

“You guys are weird.” Kelley says with her eyebrows raised. “Thanks Moe that’s it!” 

“Alright it should be out quick!” She says and walks away. 

“Do you guys know everyone?” Alex asks the table. 

“We know A LOT of the kids our age. Being in a band definitely helps us know a lot of people.” Kling states.

“Plus Moe and JJ are on the soccer team.” I say with a shrug. 

“Do you all play soccer?” I hear Alex asks. 

“I don’t and neither does Ash.” Kling pipes in. “I am strictly music. I don’t even go to Tulane I go to Loyola. Pinoe is on the soccer team though.”

“Seems like I’ll be going to some soccer games this year.” Alex says. 

“Yeah Toby –

“Don’t call me that.” I interrupt Kelley.

“Here is the star on our team. Seriously. You should see what she can do with her feet. She should have gone to UNC on a full ride, but she wanted to stay near home. I wouldn’t be surprised if she got called up to the National Team.” Kelley informs Alex as she takes a swig of her root beer that Moe just placed on the table. 

“I’m not that good Kel.” I say rubbing the back of my neck when I see Alex look at me with wonder in her eyes. 

“Oh my god shut up Tobin. You run circles around your opponents. Your good. Stop being so humble.” Kling states rolling her eyes. I blush as I feel Alex’s eyes on me and I take a sip of my lemonade. 

“Soooo today I found out that Alex is apparently a superstar.” I say nonchalantly. 

“You didn’t know that Tobin?” 

“How did you not know that?”

Kelley and Kling look at me like I had 4 boobs. 

“Ok I was in Hawaii for the whole summer. Would you go to the movie theatre if you were in Hawaii??” I ask them with my eyebrows raised. 

“Touche.” Kling says bowing her head at me. 

“Well where did you go on all your dates??” Kling asks.

“Oh my god for the last time Kling I di-“

“WOHHH! You did not tell me about this part of your summer Tobs!” Kelley basically shouts. 

“Kling I am going to kill y-“

“So you went on dates with some local hotties?” Kelley asks excitedly. 

“We did not go out on dates.” I say hesitantly. 

“So what did you do then?” Alex asks with a sly smirk and I feel my ears turn red. 

“Well um you know we uh hung out.” I say nonchalantly.

“How much nookie did you get?” Kelley asks. 

“Kelley!” I yelp and punch her in the arm as she and Kling begin laughing hysterically. 

“Um what is nookie?” Alex asks and this time we all laugh at her. Alex begins to turn red as we continue laughing.

“I’m sorry Alex we’re not laughing at you. We’re laughing at the situation.” Kling says gently in between guffaws. 

“Well what does it mean?” She asks again causing all of us to glance at each other quickly. 

“Pussy.” Kelley says quietly and Alex’s already flushed face turns redder. 

“Oh! I didn’t know that you were-“

“Gay? Yeah I am. I hope that doesn’t bother you.” I say slowly, watching her reaction closely. Dear god I hope she has nothing against it. 

“Oh my gosh no that doesn’t bother me! One of my besties at home is gay! I just didn’t see it.” Alex says. 

“Really. You couldn’t tell.” Kling deadpans as she motions with her hand at my outfit, which consisted of a loose tank top, soccer shorts, and a snap back. 

“She practically screams gay.” Kelley says with an eye roll. 

“Shut up Kel you’re gay too ya idiot.” I joke at her. 

“Yeah but like you’re attitude and style scream ‘I’m a homo! Girls come hither!’” Kelley chuckles.

“Are you gay as well?” Alex asks Kling. 

“Naaa. I’m a hetero through and through.” Kling states. 

“What about you?” I ask Alex quietly. 

“I have a boyfriend back in LA.” Alex responds after a small delay. 

“Oh. That’s cool.” I say and try my best to hide the disappointment in my voice. Yep. I was totally right. She has someone gorgeous waiting for her back in LA.

“How did you not know that? It’s like common knowledge. They are one of the hottest couples in Hollywood.” Kelley says and then looks at Alex quickly with wide eyes. “I did not mean for that to sound creepy at all.” 

“It’s ok Kelley I understand.” Alex laughs. 

“So back to Tobin. How much did you get this summer?” Kelley asks me. 

“Aww come on Kelley. You know I don’t kiss and tell.” I joke which only causes her to poke me in my side, knowing I’m extremely ticklish there. 

“Tobs you have been gone for forever. I didn’t know what you were doing for basically an entire summer. Give me this and I promise I won’t bother you about it again. I won’t even mention it to Pinoe or Ash!” Kelley proclaims holding up her hand in the air in signature of a promise. 

“Ughh. Fine. Well I wasn’t ever lonely for very long.” I concede. 

“Were they locals or tourist?” Kling asks.

“Mixture of both.” I recall. 

“Beautiful and tan?” Alex asks.

“Yes. Is this like 20 questions about my sex life over the summer?” I ask with humor.

“Yes.” All three say at once and I groan. 

“Were there any from some really cool places?” Kling asks. 

“Umm yeah. South Africa, New Amsterdam, France, Australia, Brazil.” I count off thinking in my head of the girls from cool places. 

“Damn Tobs. You were busy this summer.” Kelley says with a low whistle. 

“Hey they basically threw themselves at me. I wasn’t going to say no.” I chuckle with a shrug of my shoulders. 

“So how many? In total?” Alex questions me. I stare around at the table and see that I have their complete attention. 

“11.” 

“DAMMMMN!” Kelley shouts loud enough for the entire restaurant to turn and look at us. 

“Wow good for you Tobs.” Kling says high fiving me across the table, which I slowly give with an eyeroll. 

“That’s pretty impressive.” Alex states. 

“Alex you should see the girls that throw themselves at Tobin at parties. I mean, I would never date you Tobin because ew, but you are quiet the catch. You’re hot, like smoking hot, have a great bod, can sing and play the guitar, the best player on our team.” Kelley tells Alex. 

“But she like NEVER goes home with anyone. She has super high standards. Which means all of those girls must have been supermodels.” Kling chimes in and Alex turns her head to stare at me with a wide grin on her face. 

“Oh look, food is here!” I hurriedly say, internally skipping with joy that this questionnaire of my sex life was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I post one more for tonight or no? Maybe save it for tomorrow??


	6. Backstage Passes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys this is the last chapter for a few days. Hope you enjoy!

Alex’s POV

 

“Oh my god, I can hardly even walk.” I state rubbing my fully belly as we walk back to Tobin’s car.

 

“Yeahhhh. Yo Mama’s will do that to you.” Tobin chuckles.

 

“I won’t be able to eat anything else for a week.” I say dramatically.

 

“Naa, You’ll be hungry by dinner time!”

 

“Speak for yourself. I’m hardly going to move until tomorrow.”

 

“Well I hope not seeing as I was going to ask you to come to our show tonight, but it’s no biggie you can catch us another time.” Tobin says kicking at a pebble on the sidewalk.

 

“Really? No I will force my stomach to be back to normal by then! I don’t want to miss out on you guys playing! Especially now that I know you!” I say animatedly.

 

“Ok. I’m picking up Kelley from her dorms at about 6 so you can ride with me if you want.” Tobin smiles as we climb into her car.

 

“Sounds good to me! Is it at the same place?”

 

“Yeah we always play at Abby’s unless we get invited to play at a festival or party or something.” Tobin states.

 

“Is it casual?”

 

“Just wear like what you wore the other night if you want. It’s the first night of the new semester so it should be more packed then last time.”

 

“Sweet.” I say and on that note I look out the window to enjoy the sunshine and wind once again.

 

……

 

“C’mon Alex! We have to leave soon so we can get there early and set up!” Kelley complains as she’s bouncing on my bed in impatience.

 

“I’m coming I’m coming!” I shout as I throw on my white converse before running out the door with Kelley.

 

“I’m so excited for you to see us play!” Kelley squeals.

 

“I’ve already seen you play!”

 

“Yeah but now you actually know us!”

 

I roll my eyes at how ridiculous she is and stroll out the front door. Tobin is leaning against her car waiting for us. My eyes travel over her outfit and I cant help but think how good she looks. She’s got on black ripped jeans, a white tank top with the words TOM BOY on it, and a maroon snap back. She looks up when she hears footsteps approaching her, and a smile graces her face upon realizing it is us. When I see her smile, my stomach does a little flip and I ignore it, thinking it is only because I almost missed a step while walking down the stairs.

 

“Hey guys! Wow you look great.” Tobin says to the both of us, but is only looking at me. My outfit of the night consist of light high waisted jean shorts, a black cut off tank top, a white and blue flannel, and my white converse high tops.

 

“Aww thanks Toby!” Kelley coos before running and jumping in the front seat. Tobin and I chuckle as we also climb into the car.

 

The drive to the pub is short with not much traffic. Tobin parks about a block away and we walk slowly, enjoying the cool afternoon air. We enter Abby’s Pub and there are only a few stragglers getting something to eat for dinner inside. Tobin waves at the tall woman behind the bar, but continues to walk towards the back of the bar. We walk through a doorway, down a hallway, and the room opens up into a lounge with couches along each wall of the room. Ash, Kling, and Pinoe are already here, scattered around the room, chilling out or playing with an instrument of some type.

 

“Yo.” Tobin calls out as she plops down on an open couch. Kelley walks across the room to grab something to drink so I sit next to Tobin on the couch. She had reached over the side of the couch and grabbed a guitar, pulling it into her lap and playing with it, trying to get the tune she wanted. I watch her hands strum the strings with an ease that only comes with years of practice.

 

“How long have you been playing for?” I ask.

 

“Since I was 5.” Tobin says with an easy smile. “My dad, he’s a musician. When I was little he was always playing his guitar. So you know I wanted to learn of course, I mean what kid doesn’t want to? He got me my own little guitar and started to teach me. Everyday after soccer I came home and practiced for hours. I couldn’t get enough of it. 16 years later and I still love it.”

 

“Well I’ve been around a lot of bands, and you are truly talented. He must be very proud of you.” I say placing a hand on Tobin’s knee.

 

“Yeahhh” Tobin sighs rubbing the back of her neck. “Probably not. He took off when I was 11 so. He left this guitar on my bed and that’s the last I heard of him.” She says stroking the guitar in her lap.

 

“I’m sorry Tobin I didn’t mean t-“ I rush out but she stops me when she waves her hand in front of my face.

 

“It’s fine Lex. It was a long time ago.” She says as she stands with the guitar in one hand and her other outstretched towards me.

 

“C’mon. Let me show you the ultimate backstage experience.” She says pulling me up.

 

Everyone follows Tobin out except Kelley, who is still searching the fridge for something to drink. I sit on the side of the stage as they begin setting up all of their instruments. It seems like Kling is setting up an orchestra rather then for a band playing in a bar. Tobin sees my face and chuckles.

 

“Kling is basically a prodigy. She mastered the piano at I don’t know age 8, she can play dozens of instruments. She’s on a full ride to Loyola. She even orchestrated a symphony once.” My mouth drops in shock when I hear of all of Kling’s, goofy little Kling, accomplishments.

 

“Um no offense, but wh”

 

“Why does she play with us?” Tobin asks and I nod my head.

 

“You know we ask ourselves that all the time. I don’t know. We always try to push her to do something better, but she says she’s already doing something pretty great.” Tobin shrugs her shoulders.

 

“Wow.” I say looking over at Kling in an entirely different light now.

 

“Yeah she’s really something else. We all love it, but she lives for the music. It’ll take me weeks to write a song, but when I give it to her, she reads over it and already has an idea of what instruments to use, what the intro, base structure, and hook is going to be. It’s actually really crazy.”

 

“Have you guys ever thought of going to get your stuff recorded and then bring it to a record label??”

 

“Yeah we’ve thought about it. I don’t know, maybe one day.” She says looking out over the bar that was slowly filling with more people.

 

“Seems like you guys are about to start.” I observe.

 

“Yep. Ok you can just chill at the bar if you want, drinks are on the house for you.” Tobin says with a small smile and wave as she turns around to talk with the rest of the girls before they started. With that, I walk over to the bar and am met with the same long braided girl that was tending to it last time.

 

“Came back for some more??” She asks when she sees me.

 

“Actually I was invited, but yes. Kelley happens to my roommate for the semester.” I say to her.

 

“Really?! That’s pretty cool. Maybe I’ll see you around then. My boyfriend is on the men’s soccer team so we hang out with the women’s all the time, plus we hang out here at the bar all the time too, and I’m a close friend of Pinoes. I’m Sydney by the way.” She says sticking out her hand, which I take.

 

“Alex.” I say taking her hand and shaking it.

 

“Welcome to the crew.” She says as she serves me the same drink that she served me the other night.

 

“Thanks. Everyone is so cool and open here.”

 

“Naa. You just happened to stumble across some pretty cool people.” She says with a chuckle. I’m about to respond when I hear Tobin’s voice over the microphone.

 

“Wolfgang Rythem here. We’re gonna get started in a few. Hope you guys enjoy.” She calls out to the crowd. She steps back, fiddling with her guitar, before stepping up to the microphone again, looks over to the bar, winks at me, and starts strumming away on her guitar. After a few seconds of her and Kelley harmonizing in a smooth tune, she begins to sing.

 

(Link to song: [Dig](https://youtu.be/nMsZ6wkZWhA))

 

**We all have a weakness**

**But some of ours are easy to identify.**

**Look me in the eye**

**And ask for forgiveness;**

**We'll make a pact to never speak that word again**

**Yes you are my friend.**

**We all have something that digs at us,**

**At least we dig each other**

**So when weakness turns my ego up**

**I know you'll count on the me from yesterday**

**If I turn into another**

**Dig me up from under what is covering**

**The better part of me**

**Sing this song**

**Remind me that we'll always have each other**

**When everything else is gone.**

**We all have a sickness**

**That cleverly attaches and multiplies**

**No matter how we try.**

**We all have someone that digs at us,**

**At least we dig each other**

**So when sickness turns my ego up**

**I know you'll act as a clever medicine.**

**If I turn into another**

**Dig me up from under what is covering**

**The better part of me.**

**Sing this song!**

**Remind me that we'll always have each other**

**When everything else is gone.**

**Oh each other....**

**When everything**

**Else is gone.**

**If I turn into another**

**Dig me up from under what is covering**

**The better part of me.**

**Sing this song!**

**Remind me that we'll always have each other**

**When everything else is gone.**

**Oh each other**

**When everything**

**Else is gone.**

**Oh each other**

**When everything**

**Else is gone.**

As soon as they finish playing I’m clapping along with everyone else in the room. Someone had propped the door open, allowing Tobin’s vocals and the band’s sound carry out into the street, causing people to drift in.

 

“I like this set list they do.” Syd comments from behind me. “You’re in for a treat tonight.” She calls out and walks off to help the growing crowd at the bar as the next song starts.

 

(Link to song: [Sedona](https://youtu.be/Y8wifV5RYr8))

 

**The red sandstone, it fell**

**Right smack on top of Sedona Arabella**

**When John Ford said wont you hop on in**

**To the stage coach baby gonna take you for a spin, oh oh**

**Hey little Hollywood**

**You're gone but you're not forgot**

**You got the cash but your credit's no good**

**You flipped the script and you shot the plot**

**And I remember I remember when your neon used to burn so bright and pink**

**A Saturday night kinda pink**

**The blacklist and its hosts**

**Came down so swift and it drove 'em to the coast**

**We're goin California but we're all out of work**

**I guess that's better than a grave and a hearse**

**Hey little Hollywood**

**You're gone but you're not forgot**

**You got the cash but your credit's no good**

**You flipped the script and you shot the plot**

**And I remember I remember when your neon used to burn so bright and pink**

**A Saturday night kinda pink**

**The devil's in a rush**

**And his duct tape makes you hush**

**Hey there Sedona let me cut you a deal**

**I'm a little hung over and I may have to steal your soul, oh oh**

**Hey little Hollywood**

**You're gone but you're not forgot**

**You got the cash but your credit's no good**

**You flipped the script and you shot the plot**

**And I remember I remember when your neon used to burn so bright and pink, so bright and pink**

**A Saturday night kinda pink**

Tobin takes a sip of water and takes a deep breath before plucking away on her guitar.

 

“This is my favorite.” Syd whispers to me as she passes by again.

 

The instant Tobin begins to actually play, chills run down my entire body. I had never heard this type of sound come out of a guitar in person and it captured my, and the entire bars, attention.

 

(Link to song: [Slow Dancing in a Burning Room](https://youtu.be/32GZ3suxRn4) if you haven't heard this before, I recommend listening to it. John Mayer is the bomb. If you want to get to the actual song skip to 1:01)

 

**It's not a silly little moment,**

**It's not the storm before the calm.**

**This is the deep and dying breath of**

**This love that we've been working on.**

**Can't seem to hold you like I want to**

**So I can feel you in my arms.**

**Nobody's gonna come and save you,**

**We pulled too many false alarms.**

**We're going down,**

**And you can see it too.**

**We're going down,**

**And you know that we're doomed.**

**My dear,**

**We're slow dancing in a burning room.**

**I was the one you always dreamed of,**

**You were the one I tried to draw.**

**How dare you say it's nothing to me?**

**Baby, you're the only light I ever saw.**

**I'll make the most of all the sadness,**

**You'll be a bitch because you can.**

**You try to hit me just to hurt me**

**So you leave me feeling dirty**

**Because you can't understand.**

**We're going down,**

**And you can see it too.**

**We're going down,**

**And you know that we're doomed.**

**My dear,**

**We're slow dancing in a burning room.**

**Go cry about it - why don't you?**

**Go cry about it - why don't you?**

**Go cry about it - why don't you?**

**My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room,**

**Burning room,**

**Burning room,**

**Burning room,**

**Burning room.**

**Don't you think we oughta know by now?**

**Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?**

**Don't you think we oughta know by now?**

**Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?**

**Don't you think we oughta know by now?**

**Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?**

**Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?**

**Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?**

**Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow**

**Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?**

Kelley begins playing so smoothly on the base and Tobin walks over playing right next to each other, looking at each occasionally and just shredding out together. Tobin closes her eyes and I can see her getting lost in the music as she gives it everything. I am completely and utterly enamored.


	7. Damn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Goose1713???????? Ok I'm not posting tomorrow but I'll probably post on Saturday. Hope you guys enjoy!

When the final cords have been played the entire bar burst into applause. The only reaction from the band is a hand raised in acknowledgment from Tobin and smiles on all of the band members faces.

 

“Wow.” I whisper out.

 

“I know. Amazing right?” Syd says from behind me and I spin around to look at her.

 

“Why aren’t they famous? I’m not kidding. They should be famous.” I say seriously and she shrugs her shoulders.

 

“That’s the million dollar question. ” She says with her eyebrows raised before walking off once again.

 

The whole night, the band rocks the stage. I don’t think a single person left the bar, even though there were so many, there was hardly any walking room.

 

“Alright ladies and gents. We’re gonna slow it down for our last song of the night.” Tobin says to the crowd as she, Kelley, and Kling all strap on an acoustic guitar and beginning to play in harmony.

 

(Link to song:  [Free Fallin'](https://youtu.be/20Ov0cDPZy8))

 

**She's a good girl, loves her mama**

**Loves Jesus and America, too**

**She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis**

**Loves horses and her boyfriend, too**

**It's a long day living in reseda**

**There's a freeway runnin' through the yard**

**I'm a bad girl 'cause I don't even miss her**

**I'm a bad girl for breaking her heart**

**And I'm free, free fallin', fallin'**

**And I'm free, free fallin', fallin'**

**All the vampires walkin' through the valley**

**They move west down Ventura boulevard**

**And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows**

**And the good girls are home with broken hearts**

**And I'm free, free fallin', fallin'**

**Now I'm free, free fallin', fallin'**

**Free fallin',**

**Now I'm free fallin',**

**Now I'm free fallin',**

**Now I'm free fallin'.**

**I wanna glide down over Mulholland**

**I wanna write her name in the sky**

**I wanna free fall out into nothin'**

**I'm gonna leave this world for a while**

**Now I'm free, free fallin', fallin'**

**Now I'm free, free fallin', fallin'**

They strum out the last few chords before finally stopping. The bar breaks out into applause, and almost all of them walk forward to place money in the open guitar case in front of Tobin.

 

“Thank you! Hope everyone enjoyed! Drive safe guys.” She says before pulling her guitar off and walking to the backroom. I follow her into the room and see that she’s setting down her guitar carefully in it’s case. She hears me behind her and stands up, smiling at me before wiping away at the sweat on her face. When she wipes her face, her shirt raises, causing her very tan and toned stomach to show. I glance at it and feel my face flush when I see that she saw me look at it.

 

“I gotta go get something but I’ll be right back. Watch this for me will ya?” She says and takes off her hat, placing it backwards on my head as she winks at me and walks out of the room.

 

My throat goes dry as I watch her walk off.

 

“Damn.” I say under my breath before shaking my head to snap myself out of it. Don’t be silly Alex. The only reason she is so attractive right now is because you just saw her perform an incredible show.

 

I’m snapped out of my thoughts as the rest of the band comes in. Kelley plops herself on the couch and stretches out completely.

 

“I am so drained.” She mutters dramatically.

 

“Guys you were absolutely incredible.” I gush.

 

“Thanks Alex. Guys who knew that a superstar would like our music one day huh?” Pinoe says with a smile.

 

“Certainly not me.” Ash says as she is checking her phone and then smiles at whatever is on the screen.

 

“Whatcha smilin at Ash??” Kelley says suddenly popping up.

 

“Nothing.” Ash blushes as she puts her phone in her pocket.

 

Suddenly all of the girls run to Ash and tackle her into one of the couches. Pinoe grabs her arms, Kling clings onto her legs, and Kelley sits on her lap and begins to tickle her.

 

“Stop! Sto- I cant breath.” She says in between laughs as she tries to wiggle away from Kelley’s fingers. “Alex Alex help!” She calls out to me in desperation.

 

“Remember who you live with Alex!” Kelley shouts at me without turning around causing me to laugh openly at the scene before me.

 

“What the hell.” I hear a voice behind me say and turn to see Tobin with drinks in her hand and an amused facial expression.

 

“Ash was doing something that made her smile and blush and then the next thing I know they’ve pinned Ashlyn to the couch.” I inform her and she chuckles.

 

“I give! I give!” Ash gets out and Kelley holds her fingers up in the air.

 

“What was that? I couldn’t here you.” She teasingly says.

 

“It was Ali.” Ashyln mutters.

 

“Ali is the girl you’re trying to woo?!?!” Tobin yells in surprise.

 

“How did you not know this Tobin??” Pinoe shouts in the same tone.

 

“Dude. She has a boyfriend.” Tobin moans.

 

“You don’t think I know that?!” Ash yells, shoving Kelley off her lap, and stomps out the door. Tobin stares at her in disbelief as she leaves.

 

“C’mon Tobin.” Kling says with her head tilted to the side.

 

“I didn’t know she was this sensitive about it.” Tobin says hesitantly.

 

“She’s in it deep.” Pinoe states nodding her head.

 

“Damn. I’ll have to apologize to her later. How long has she liked her?” Tobin asks still surprised.

 

“Ever since me and her went to watch y’alls first soccer game freshmen year. She got one look at Ali and that was it.” Kling says.

 

“Ali as in like Ali our RA?” I ask Kelley quietly and she nods her head.

 

“But. But I could never even tell! I mean Ali hangs out with us ALL the time!” Tobin says.

 

“No offense Tobin, but sometimes you are the most oblivious person in the world. She looks at Ali like she puts the stars in the sky.” Kelley says.

 

“Whatttttt.” Tobin says looking at the door that Ash stormed out of.

 

“Why do you think she hates Brent so much? Dude you need to open your eyes.” Pinoe says shaking her head.

 

“Shit. I need to apologize.” Tobin says running her hand along the back of her neck.

 

“Well not now! You know her. She needs to cool off. She probably walked to Andy’s down the street.” Kling says.

 

“Ok.” Tobin says nodding her head.

 

“Alright lets kill this subject. Kling help me break down the stage.” Pinoe says as her and Kling walk out the door.

 

Tobin groans and falls onto the couch dramatically.

 

“I hate when Ash is mad at me.” She says from in between her hands.

 

“Well why don’t you invite Ali to come hang with us one day?” I inquire. At that, both Kelley and Tobin’s heads whirl to me.

 

“What?” I ask.

 

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Kelley asks Tobin, who nods excitedly.

 

“What are you guys talking about??” I ask confused.

 

“We” Kelley says pointing to the three of us in the room. “are going to set Ash up with Ali.”

 

“But I don’t even really know Ali! We just talk in the hallway when we see each other!”

 

“Yeah but you know Ash.” Tobin says.

 

“And who is going to say no to superstar Alex Morgan when she invites them somewhere??” Kelley asks with her eyebrows raised.

 

“I feel like this is going to either end badly or amazing.” I say hesitantly.

 

“Well we’re shooting for amazing!” Kelley says.

 

“So when are we doing this thing?” I sigh in defeat and Kelley and Tobin jump on me in excitement.

 

“Ew you guys are all sweaty!” I shout as I try to worm my way out of their hug.

 

“This is going to be awesome!” Kelley sings as she skips out of the door leaving Tobin and I alone.

 

“Do you work tonight?”

 

“No not tonight, I get to go to bed at a reasonable hour.” She says smirking.

 

“That’s good.” I say and a silence washes over the room before I decide to break it.

 

“You were absolutely fantastic tonight.” I say to Tobin who smiles at me.

 

“Thank you.” She says with a dip of her head.

 

“My favorite was the 3rd song.”

 

“It’s my favorite as well.” She says with a large smile on her face.

 

“You guys are amazing you know that? I mean all your songs, especially that one, could be playing on radios across the US.”

 

“Stoppp.” Tobin says blushing.

 

“I’m serious Tobin. You guys could fly out to California right now and a record label would sign you in an instant. You all have so much potential.” I say and Tobin lifts her head, her eyes sparkling.

 

“You think so?” She asks quietly.

 

“I know so.” I state with confidence.

 

Tobin stares at me with a look on her face that I can’t comprehend for what feels likes an eternity. I feel a fluttering in my stomach as she scans over my features with the softest gaze. She opens her mouth to say something but is interrupted by Kling who sticks her head through the door.

 

“Everything is all packed up and ready to go except your guitar. Oh and Ash is back.” She says and she disappears once again. Whatever was going through Tobin’s head is gone and she hurriedly walks over to pick up her guitar, which thankfully gave me a moment to gather myself. I don’t know what it was about this girl, I’ve only known her officially for a day and she is making me feel things I haven’t felt before.


	8. Welcome to The Cave

The next few weeks go by quicker then I realized. People eventually have stopped running up to me asking for pictures and autographs. I still have people come up to me every once in a while, but most of the time the girls are with me so they tell people to leave me alone nicely, or not so nicely sometimes with Kelley. I’ve grown closer to all of the girls quicker then I have with anyone else. Something about their laid back, spunky, adventurous attitudes drew me in. Especially Tobin. We grew close incredibly fast. It seemed like we always spent our time together. Whether that was in her dorm room, my dorm room, Abby’s Pub, somewhere on campus; it didn’t matter, we were always together.

I loved every minute that we were together. Maybe it was because she was easy going and it made me feel more relaxed then I had in a year. Maybe it was the way she acted like a goofball and was constantly making me laugh. Maybe it was because when I wasn’t looking I could feel her gazing at me and when I looked at her sometimes she would look away embarrassed, but other times, she wouldn’t look away, but would wink at me causing my stomach to do somersaults. I didn’t realize it was September until my professors were talking about our first exams. Time seems to slow down in the Louisiana heat while the rest of the word keeps spinning. 

“Hey Alex you want to come home with me? You can bring your homework and do it there, but we’re having a band prac-“

“Yes!” I say immediately, hopping up from the spot on my bed. 

“Wow. Someone is a little excited. Why is that?” Kelley asks with a small smirk. 

“Oh I just like watching you guys play.” I say quickly, praying my face didn’t flush. Since going to see them play that second time, I haven’t missed a session. 

“Whatever you say Lex.” Kelley chuckles as she grabs her keys and backpack. I grab my own backpack and we walk out the door and race down the stairs. We climb into Kelley’s old four runner and take off for her house. 

“So you guys practice at your house?”

“Yep. Have been since we were 14.” 

“Wow. You guys have been together for that long??”

“Yeah we all went to middle school and high school together.” She explains.

“Your mom doesn’t care about the noise?”

“Welllllllllll. You see at first we really sucked except Tobin and Kling, they’ve always been spectacular. So my mom banned us to the garage but now that we’re better, she leaves the door to the garage open when she’s cooking or cleaning. She used to wear earplugs in the beginning and me or Kling would have to throw a pillow at her after everyone left to get her attention.” Kelley chuckles at the memory.

“You and Kling are sisters?! I didn’t know that! You guys look nothing alike!” 

“That’s because we aren’t sisters, technically.” Kelley says slowly. 

“What do you mean technically?” I asked confused. 

“When I was 11, Kling’s parents and her little brother died in a car crash caused by a drunk driver.” At this, my breath stops in my chest, and a coldness seeps through my limbs at the familiar storyline. 

“Both her parents were only children and her grandparents were either too old or didn’t want to take care of her. Tobin, Kling, and my mom were all really close. When we were born, because we all were born in the summer of the same year, they decided to be the god mother of each others kids. So Kling cold have lived with either me or Tobin, but um Tobin’s pare- well Tob-“

“Tobin told me about her dad.” I interject quietly as I stare at the river next to the road. 

“Oh ok. I didn’t want to say anything if she hadn’t told you, she’s really private about that stuff. Anyways, since Tobin’s mom was dealing with her dad leaving, they agreed for my mom to take responsibility for Kling. She’s been living with me ever since.” Kelley finishes with a shrug of her shoulders. 

“Wow.” I whisper.

“Yeah. I mean it really sucked because we were all really close. My mom, Tobin’s mom and Kling were broken for a really long time. I mean she was like a second mom to Tobin and I. My mom tried to act as tough as she could in front of me and especially in front of Kling. But that’s why Kling and I are SOOO different.” Kelley says trying to lighten the mood, but I stay silent, still looking at the river. I feel Kelley start to say something after a few moments of silence but I beat her to it. 

“Al-“

“My parents died the same way.” I say so quickly it makes Kelley stop talking immediately. Kelley then places her hand on top of mine that was sitting on the console. 

“How long ago?” She asks softly. 

“6 months ago.” I say trying to contain the tears that were threatening to spill. Kelley squeezes my hand and I enjoy the quiet comfort it gives me. 

“Drunk drivers fucking suck.” Kelley spits out after a couple miles of silence. At this, I let out a tearful chuckle and wipe away at the tears that had escaped. 

“You got that fucking right.” I sniffle and she pats my hand before removing it to grab a napkin out of the middle console and offering one to me. 

“Thank you Kelley.” I mumble as I gratefully take the tissue. 

“You’re welcome Lex. Now dry those pretty eyes of yours because we’re almost here.” Kelley says as she turns off the main highway. I quickly dry my eyes and wipe my nose, not wanting any of the girls to see me like this. 

Kelley pulls down a gravel road and comes to a stop in front of a charming two-story house. A golden retriever pops up from its spot on the porch at the sight of Kelley’s car and is soon running our way. 

“SWAG!!!” Kelley yells as she jumps out of the car and falls to the grass. The dog immediately hops onto Kelley, licking every inch of skin it could, while it’s entire body wiggled in excitement. 

“Swag! Swag let me get up! Ok ok I love you too girl! Yes I know!” Kelley giggles and then sighs before getting a devilish look in her eyes. 

“Swag! Attack!” She orders pointing at me. My eyes widen as a large golden retriever comes bounding goofily my way.

“No no no! Don’t even think about it!” I say with my hands out in front of me. It does no good however, because the next moment Swag jumps on me, pushing me to the ground, and begins to attack my face with her tongue. I laugh in disgust as I try to push her head away but this dog was very insistent. 

“Kelley help!” I yell out between laughs. 

“Sorry no can do Alex.” She says as she stands wiping the dust off herself. “She loves new people.” She says with a shrug. 

“Swag Stop!” I call out and she stops at once but still stands over me wagging her tail. 

“Hah! See your dog listened to me!” I say cockily to Kelley. 

I’m about to push her off but I see her ears perk up suddenly and she turns her head towards the noise. I feel the ground vibrating and don’t even have time to look before a black mass tackles me, suddenly not one, but two tongues are attacking me. 

“Swag stop!” I command but it does no good, she just continues licking my now exposed belly in delight. 

“Dig!.” I hear someone call out and the black mass of a dog stops instantly, causing Swag to stop as well. I look around and between the legs of both dogs and see Tobin standing next to Kelley smiling at my situation. 

“Dig. Sit.” She orders and the dog sits right where it’s standing. That so happened to be my stomach. I groan in protest as the dog sits on me, wagging it’s tail happily. Kelley and Tobin burst into laughter and I see Kelley pull out her phone to take a picture. I give them the bird as Kelley takes the picture and they break out into laughter even louder this time. 

“Tobin get this dog off of me!” I shout in distress. 

“Dig. Heel.” She calls out and Dig runs to her side obediently. I watch as Tobin walks to me and holds out her hand for me to take. I do take it, and as she is pulling me up, I see that she is still chuckling. 

As soon as I am standing, I wipe the dog slobber off of me and pull my hair into a ponytail. I grab my backpack from the ground, glare at Tobin and Kelley which causes them to laugh at me again, and stomp off towards what I assume is the front door. 

“Lexxxxxxx.” I hear Tobin call out to me, but I continue towards the front door. She grabs my hand, and heat rushes through my body as she holds my hand gingerly. 

“I’m sorryyy.” She whines and makes a puppy dogface at me. How does she look cute doing anything? I sigh and roll my eyes in surrender. 

“Lets get you a wet cloth to wipe off all that dog drool.” She says with her eyes sparkling with amusement. 

I hit her arm with a grunt of disgust and she chuckles at me before dragging me into the house by our intertwined hands. We walk into the kitchen where a women is cutting up strawberries. At the sound of our feet, her head pops up, and a wide smile crosses her face. 

“Tobin! I didn’t know you were here.” She says as she pulls Tobin into a bear hug. 

“Just got here a few minutes ago with Dig.” She mumbles into the women’s shoulder. 

“And who is this? Is this a new girlfriend?” She asks Tobin, her eyes alight with excitement as she looks at me. My ears turn red, but that’s nothing compared to Tobin. When I look over, her face is the color of the strawberries in front of her. 

“Um no. This is Alex. Kelley’s roommate and a friend to all of us.” Tobin stammers out while rubbing the back of her flushed neck. 

“Oh my apologizies! I’m sorry! Well it is very nice to meet you Alex. I’ve heard very good things about you from Kelley.” She says as she waves her knife in the air before she continues to chop the berries. 

Tobin hands me a wet folded towel awkwardly. I watch in confusion, wondering why Tobin is acting shy all of a sudden. It couldn’t be about what Kelley’s mom had just said could it? I scrub my face with the wet towel and look up when I’m done to see Mrs. Karen’s eyes and head tilted to the side looking at Tobin, while Tobin is shaking her head frantically. 

“I’m making a breakfast dinner tonight Tobin and Alex. You should stay and eat with the rest of the girls.” Mrs. O’Hara says when she sees I’m finished wiping the dog slobber off of my face. 

“Yes!” Tobin shouts jumping in the air, clicking her heals together, and I laugh at how childish she can be at times. 

“Mrs. Karen makes the best breakfast EVER! You have to stay and try some!” Tobin informs me excitedly. 

“Yeah that sounds great! Thank you Mrs. O’Hara.” 

“Oh honey, call me Karen.” She says with a flick of her wrist. 

“Ok Mrs. Karen.” 

“We’ll see you in a little bit Mrs. K., we’ve gotta start practice now.” Tobin calls out to her as she drags me once again through the house. 

“Have fun girls!” I hear her call out before I’m towed down a hallway. The sound of music gets closer the further we walk. Tobin pauses at a door and turns to me with a small smile on her face. 

“Welcome to the cave.” She says as she opens the door.


	9. The Ukulele Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the wonderful comments that you guys are leaving! I hope you guys are enjoying this story as much as I am writing it!

I walk through the doorway smiling, taking in my surroundings in as the girls call out hey to me. This place screams all 5 of their personalities. The ceiling was completely covered in tiny hanging lights, giving the room a hazy glow effect. Each wall contained something different I observe. The wall next to me had shelves filled with instruments. I walk over, my eyes running over all the instruments, some that I had no clue what noise even came out of them. I continue walking until I get to the next wall, which is the garage door. Every single inch of the door was concealed from stickers. I glance over them and giggle as I read a few of the stickers.

 

“Eat rice, potatoes make your butt fat; Cheesecake! Say it like you’re pissed; Yellowstone or bust; I’m so gay I cant even drive straight.” I chuckle.

 

“Yeah we get stickers anywhere we go if they have them.” Tobin says over my shoulder.

 

I make my way to the next wall. This side of the garage has a couch and chair pushed up against it. Above the couch was a huge map of the world with pins stuck in the places people have gone. Each person had a different color pin so that you could tell where each individual person had been. As I inspect the map, I notice that Tobin has traveled the most by far.

 

On the rest of the wall, the area that wasn’t covered by the map, there was a collection of Polaroid pictures. I gaze at the pictures and see that it is all pictures of the band, either of them playing, laughing and goofing off, or the places they’ve been. My eyes wander over all the pictures that had been taken throughout the years. I see a young Kling and Pinoe with their head thrown back in laughter, Tobin and Pinoe shouldering Kelley who is grass stained, has her right leg bleeding, and is lifting a trophy in victory, and Ashlyn 4 years ago posing with a terrible sense style in clothes. My eyes stop when I reach one of Tobin.

 

She’s sitting on what looks like a dock with her guitar in her lap. She’s in a simple white shirt, shorts, feet bare, and her hair pulled back into a messy bun. The sun is setting in the background, causing the water to have a pink tint to it, and outlining Tobin’s sitting figure. Tobin is looking down at her guitar, smiling widely, as one hand lays on the guitar and the other is running a hand through her hair. It’s so simple but in that moment I’ve never seen someone so beautiful.

 

“You like our wall?” I hear Tobin asks behind me.

 

“I love it.” I say and spin around and Tobin smiles brightly.

 

“Especially this one.” I say pointing to the one of Tobin.

 

“Really?” She asks and I see a small spark of something in her eyes.

 

“Yeah, it’s so peaceful.”

 

“You can have it if you want.” She says shrugging her shoulders like it was no big deal.

 

“Why? So I can look at your goofy face more then I have to?” I say pushing her shoulder laughing. The smile leaves Tobin’s face for a fraction of a second but is replaced again so quickly, I feel like I imagined it leaving.

 

“Of course!”

 

“Who took all these?” I ask in wonder, still looking over the transition of all the band members over the last 5 years.

 

“Guilty.” I hear and turn around to see Pinoe with her hand in the air.

 

“This is so awesome!” I exclaim pointing back at the wall.

 

“Everyone needs a hobby.” She says which causes me to snort.

 

“Yes because playing soccer for a D1 school and being in a band isn’t enough.” I say and she just raises her hands in the air before walking over to the final wall, where everything they need to play is set up.

 

 

“Well where you guys practice is certainly original. It’s pretty cool.”

 

“Thanks Lex! We’re about to start so you can just chill on the couch and do homework or whatever you want.” Tobin says before walking over to pick up her guitar.

 

I settle down on the couch and pull my binder in my lap, planning on finishing up some Trigonometry homework. The girls are warming up, I’m assuming, by fiddling with their instruments or plucking random cords. That is until Tobin actually begins to strum her guitar. I look up from my problem and watch as she steps up to the microphone.

 

(Link to song:  [Drive](https://youtu.be/fgT9zGkiLig))

 

**Sometimes I feel the fear of the uncertainty stinging clear**

**And I can't help but ask myself how much I'll let the fear take the wheel and steer**

**It's driven me before, and it seems to have a vague**

**Haunting mass appeal**

**Lately I'm beginning to find that I should be the one behind the wheel**

**Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there**

**With open arms and open eyes, yeah**

**Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there, I'll be there**

**So if I decide to waiver my chance to be one of the hive**

**Will I choose water over wine and hold my own and drive, oh oh**

**It's driven me before, and it seems to be the way**

**That everyone else gets around**

**Lately, I'm beginning to find that when I drive myself, my light is found**

**Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there**

**With open arms and open eyes, yeah**

**Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there, I'll be there**

**Would you choose water over wine... hold the wheel and drive?**

**Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there**

**With open arms and open eyes, yeah**

**Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there, I'll be there**

 

The beat is nice and I find my foot nodding along to it. Three songs into their band practice, my homework lies next to me forgotten.

 

“Hey girls I brought you some lemonade.” Kelley’s mom states as she places a stack of glasses and a large pitcher of lemonade on the side table next to the couch. She sits on the couch next to me as Kling and Pinoe walk over to get some lemonade.

 

“You rock Mrs. Karen! You’re lemonade is the bomb!” Pinoe exclaims while Kling nods her head while sipping away at hers.

 

“You girls should play that one that I like next.” Mrs. Karen says as she sits on the couch next to me.

 

“Mom you like a lot of our songs.” Kelley deadpans.

 

“The one Tobin wrote while in Hawaii.” She says flicking her wrist and Tobin smiles.

 

“Ok that narrows it down to like 10.” She says with a chuckle.

 

“You girls know which one I’m talking about! The one with the ukulele! It goes something like ba duuuuu ba duuuhh ba duhhhh du du duuuu.” She hums out.

 

“Oh! I’m yours.” Tobin says and a chorus of oh erupts around the room.

 

Tobin walks over to the shelf and grabs the ukulele and begins to play, allowing the bubbly tune to fill the room. Mrs. Karen begins to tap her foot to the beat as soon as the song starts. I turn my attention back to the band and Tobin, as always, steals my attention instantly.

 

(Link to song:  [I'm Yours](https://youtu.be/EkHTsc9PU2A)) 

 

**Well you done done me and you bet I felt it**

**I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted**

**I fell right through the cracks**

**Now I'm trying to get back**

**Before the cool done run out I'll be giving it my bestest**

**And nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention**

**I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some**

**But I won't hesitate no more, no more**

**It cannot wait, I'm yours**

**Well open up your mind and see like me**

**Open up your plans and damn you're free**

**Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love**

**Listen to the music of the moment people, dance and sing**

**We're just one big family**

**And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved loved love love**

**So I won't hesitate no more, no more**

**It cannot wait, I'm sure**

**There's no need to complicate, our time is short**

**This is our fate, I'm yours**

**D-d-do do you, but do you, d-d-do**

**But do you want to come on**

**Scooch on over closer dear**

**And I will nibble your ear**

**I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror**

**And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer**

**But my breath fogged up the glass**

**And so I drew a new face and I laughed**

**I guess what I be saying is there ain't no better reason**

**To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons**

**It's what we aim to do, our name is our virtue**

**But I won't hesitate no more, no more**

**It cannot wait, I'm yours**

**Open up your mind and see like me**

**(I won't hesitate)**

**Open up your plans and damn you're free**

**(No more, no more)**

**Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours**

**(It cannot wait, I'm sure)**

**So please don't please don't, there's no need**

**(There's no need to complicate)**

**There's no need to complicate**

**(Our time is short)**

**Our time is short**

**(This is our fate)**

**This is, this is, this is our fate**

**I'm yours**

**Oh, I'm yours**

**Oh, I'm yours**

**Oh, whoa, baby you believe I'm yours**

**You best believe, best believe I'm yours**

 

Throughout the song Tobin keeps looking at me and I feel Mrs. Karen’s eyes move between Tobin and I, causing my ears to turn red. They finish and Mrs. K and I clap at them and Pinoe bows dramatically.

 

“Alright I’m going to go finish up dinner, it should be ready in about 10 minutes.” Mrs. Karen says as she stands and leaves the room.

 

Tobin plops down next to me on the couch and wipes the sweat on her face.

 

“Woo. It is hot in here.” Tobin says.

 

“You know, you guys surprise me every time you play.” I say and Tobin cocks her head to the side.

 

“All of your songs are amazing. I haven’t heard a band I like this much in years.” I complement and Tobin looks down at the lemonade in her hand smiling.

 

“Thanks Lex. I know. We’re awesome. ” Tobin looks up to me smiling sweetly and I laugh at her.

 

A bright light goes off and both of us look up to see Pinoe holding her camera. She takes it and shakes it a few times before handing it to us.

 

I hold the picture in between us and smile when I see the picture. My head is thrown back in laughter and Tobin is smiling at me. I hand the picture to Tobin, who takes it gently, and pull out my phone, snapping a picture of the Polaroid in her hand. I upload it to Instagram with my caption reading: “Who knew people from Louisiana were this funny?”

 

“Hey! A lot of us are hilarious!” Tobin defends herself jokingly.

 

“Sureeeeee.” I joke smiling at her and she smiles back. We sit there smiling at one another for what seemed for forever that is until Tobin’s eyes roam to my lips. I lip my lips self-consciously and I see Tobin gulp at the action.

 

“Girls! Dinner’s ready!” Mrs. Karen calls out and suddenly there is a stampede for the door. My head whirls around, breaking the moment between Tobin and I, and watch Ash, Kling, and Pinoe push Kelley towards the couch and race out the door. Kelley protests and goes to stand but Tobin pushes her back down, grabs my hand, and pulls me out of the room laughing.

 

Tobin drags me by my hand towards the kitchen as Kelley chases after us. Once we enter the kitchen, my eyes widen at all of the food in front of me. On the large wooden dinner table there is a heap of bacon, stacks of waffles, scrambled eggs, toast, strawberries, milk, and orange juice. Tobin chuckles at my expression as she finally drops my hand and brushes past me.

 

“Mrs. K is always ready to feed an army.” She says before grabbing a plate, handing me one, and serving herself up buffet style.

 

“You better hurry and grab some bacon before Kelley eats it all.” Ash says when she sees me standing there with an empty plate in my hand.

 

I hurriedly grab the last slice of bacon before Kelley can add it to the growing pile of food on her plate. I add some scrambled eggs and toast to my plate, and sit down next to Tobin, who has 3 waffles piled onto her plate along with bacon and strawberries. We start to dig in and the girls around the table talk about the week they’ve had.

 

“And so I was trying to tell my lab partner that her hair was on fire but she wo- HEY!” Kelley shouts in detestation at Ash stealing some of the bacon she had store piled on her plate. As she is turned the other way, Pinoe sneaks 2 pieces of bacon, handing one to Tobin, who then hands it to me, and Kelley does nothing but complain. I seize it gratefully and take a bite of the bacon and smile at Tobin who is grinning at me. I look around the table where Kelley is now climbing onto Ash, Pinoe is stealing more bacon, and Kling is throwing pieces of strawberry at Kelley and wonder how I got lucky enough to meet all of these goofballs.


	10. Day 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a lot of you guys are asking for Tobin/Alex interaction. This is a slow burner. I promise you that you guys are definitely going to have the feels in this story! Maybe more so then A Place to Call Home! Just have patience young ones. Anyways hope you enjoy!

Tobin’s POV

 

After eating we shoo Mrs. K out of the kitchen so that we can wash the dishes and clean up. Ash cleans the table and counters, I was, Alex drys, Kling put the dishes up, Pinoe places dishes in the dishwasher, and Kelley is giving the scraps to Swag and Dig. After we finish cleaning the kitchen, which doesn’t take long with all of us helping out, we head back into the garage and chill on the large couch and some chairs.

 

“I can’t believe fall break is already this week.” Kling says

 

“I know it’s awesome I cant wait for a break!” Ash says.

 

“Dude!” Pinoe shouts and slaps my shoulder.

 

“Ouch! What?!” I moan while rubbing my stinging shoulder.

 

“We should totally go to your lake house for fall break!” She exclaims and my eyes light up in excitement.

 

“Oh my god yes! We totally should!” I say eagerly and turn to Alex.

 

“Lex you should come with us!”

 

“Yeah Alex!” Pinoe states.

 

“Well I was planning on flying back to LA fo-“ She starts to explain but Kelley cuts her off.

 

“Oh come on Alex. I thought you came here to take a break?? So call your agent and say something came up, come with us to Toby’s lake house,”

 

“Don’t call me that.” I grumble to Kelley.

 

“and relax! I promise you’ll have a great time! And if you don’t I will sacrifice myself over Christmas break and go back to LA with you and be your personal assistant.” Kelley declares.

 

“Kelley you’re dying to go California… You would shovel horse shit for 8 hours a day if it meant you could go.” Ash deadpans.

 

“That is irrelevant to this conversation Ash.” Kelley says and Ash throws her hands up in the air in exasperation.

 

“So Alex you’re coming right??” Kelley asks and Alex looks around the room until her gaze settles on me and I stick out my bottom lip, pleading silently that she’ll come.

 

“Ok you’ve convinced me!” Alex says smiling causing all of us to whoop in joy and I bet that someone could see my megawatt grin a mile away.

 

“You’re not going to regret it Alex!” Kling says happily.

 

I’m about to say something to Pinoe when I feel something hit my head. I look up in confusion until I see Kelley about to throw another Cheeto at me. She then points to Ash makes a kissy face, mouths something, points to Alex and then points to me. I scrunch my eyebrows in puzzlement and Kelley sighs before going through the motions again this time pointing to Ash at the end. I look over to Ash and see that she is smiling at something on her phone and I finally comprehend what Kelley was trying to tell me. I look over and send her a thumbs up and lean into Alex to whisper in her ear, failing to ignore the intoxicating smell of roses and honey that was wafting off of her neck.

 

“You should ask me if it’s ok that you want to invite Ali to the lake house.” I whisper into the shell of her ear.

 

“Why me?” Alex whines back in a whisper.

 

“Because who is going to say no to you superstar?” I ask with a smirk and she just rolls her eyes at me.

 

“Hey Tobin is it ok if I invite Ali to come with us??” Alex asks loudly. At the sound of Ali’s name, Ash’s head pops up immediately and Pinoe and Klings whirl their attention to me while Kelley tries to hold back a smile.

 

“Yeah there’s plenty of room at the house so I have no problem. Do you guys?” I ask the girls rhetorically.

 

“Nope!” Kling says.

 

“Not at all.” Pinoe says with a sly smile.

 

“Well I might have a problem.” Kelley says and all of us look at Kelley like she’s crazy.

 

“I mean I don’t want to be kept up all night by Ash and Ali getting it on.” Kelley says simply and everyone but Ash busts out laughing.

 

“Haha. You’re so funny guys.” Ash spits out while her face is still flaming.

 

“Wednesday can not come fast enough.” Pinoe says with a chuckle.

 

…………………….

 

Wednesday morning I find myself speed walking into the Mythology class. I plop down in my seat my freshly showered hair, wet from my shower after practice this morning, swings into my face. I hear a giggle to my right and whip my dripping hair out of my face to find Alex chuckling at me.

 

“What are you laughing at?” I ask in mock annoyance.

 

“Nothing. You just looked like the Grudge is all.” She says smirking.

 

“Shutup.” I laugh out. “It’s not my fault I don’t have time to dry my hair after practice. I hardly have time to eat!”

 

“How was practice by the way?” She asks and I groan, dropping my notebook onto my desk dramatically.

 

“It was soooo hard. Coach decided that our lungs needed to be worked on. Do you know what that means? It meant we had to do stadiums with water in our mouth, and we had to spit it into a bucket when we finished so that would coach know if anyone had spit it out or swallowed it. AND if someone had swallowed or spit it out, we had to start it all over again! WE had to do it 4 times Alex! 4 times! It was the worst practice ever.” I moan placing my head on the desk.

 

“That sounds like literal torture.” Alex says in horror.

 

“It was. I thought Kelley was going to pass out on the 4th round.” I say with a chuckle, straightening back up in my desk.

 

“Well think on the positive side. After this class we are done and then we can go to the lake house!”

 

“Thank goodness.” I sigh and open my notebook as Dr. Raja walks in.

 

We’re halfway through the lecture when a piece of paper lands on my notebook. Befuddled, I look to Lex but see she is completely focused on taking notes. I look around the class perplexed, until I see a guy, I think he’s on the baseball team, looking at me before tilting his head towards Alex and smiling, causing me to roll my eyes. Sometimes I forget that Alex is a huge super star, but then I’m brought back to reality when people ask for her autograph, or for me to take a picture of them and Alex, or in this case, a guy badgering her for a date.

 

I begrudgingly toss the folded piece of paper onto Alex’s desk and she looks at me immediately, smiling before turning her attention to the note. When she opens it, her smile grows wider, while the frown on my face deepens. I glance at the boy and see him grinning cockily. Pushing down the sinking feeling in my stomach, I turn my attention back to Dr. Raja and sulkily take notes, writing so hard with my pencil that the lead breaks. That is until the note lands on my desk again.

 

Confused, I look at Alex and she’s nodding her head for me to open it. Slowly I open the crinkled note.

**Hey beautiful,**

**Give me a day to let me show you what New Orleans is all about. You won’t regret it.**

Under that, in neat penmanship is:

 

**I would love to Tobin!**

 

A slow grin begins to cross my face at the thought of Alex wanting me to show her around New Orleans, but I bite my lip to stop it from showing when I remember that Alex has a boyfriend back in LA. I look to Alex who is looking at me expectantly. I motion to her that I didn’t write the note but that the guy did. Her forehead scrunches together and she follows my finger pointing to the smiling baseball player. Understanding crosses her face and she holds out her hand for the note again. I give it back and Alex scratches out her prior answer and scrawls something down quickly before handing it back to me. I toss the note back to the guy just as Dr. Raja grabs the attention of the class.

 

“Now I know all of you want a break with no homework or projects, but that’s not going to happen.” She says and the whole class groans.

 

“ I know I know. But I promise it’s something small and quick. While you are on break, I want you and your partner to study the constellations that relate to the myths that we have discussed in class. Sketch out at least 4 constellations. The last thing I want is a picture of you and your partner with the sky in the background so I know that you did not just sketch these constellations from the internet.” She says with a soft smile and half the class groans again causing her to chuckle.

 

“Have a good break!” She calls out, ending class.

 

Alex stands quickly and I follow her actions and we leave the class before anyone can hassle her. Unfortunately, we aren’t fast enough. The guy calls out to Alex and she politely turns around instead of ignoring him like she should.

 

“Why didn’t you say yes?” He asks her showing off his blindingly white straight teeth. He’s an extremely handsome guy, and I’m sure any girl at this point would have been swooning.

 

“I have plans tonight with my friends, I’m sorry.” Alex declines nicely and a small frown crosses his angelic face but it’s replaced with a cocky smile quickly.

 

“Come on I promise your night with me will be more fun.”

 

“No thank you.” Alex says with a little more force. He’s about to talk again when I’ve had enough and step in front of Alex.

 

“Dude she’s not interested. Take a hint.” I say in a hard tone.

 

“Oh and who would she be interested in then? You? Dyke.” He whispers nastily in my ear so that Alex doesn’t hear.

 

My entire face flushes and I lean away from him in disgust. I walk away quickly, my heart pounding in embarrassment and fury. I hear Alex mutter something behind me and then runs to catch up to me.

 

“Tobin what did he say to you?” Alex asks once she’s caught up to my speedy pace.

 

“Nothing Lex, don’t worry about it.” I mumble out, my stomach still in knots.

 

‘Tobin.”

 

“Alex lets just forget that happened and go have fun.” I say with a smile even though I still feel stick from that guy’s comment. Alex looks concerned for a second but then flashes a smile at me, causing my fake smile to turn into a real one.

 

“Ok lets go!” She says grabbing my hand and dragging me to my car while I laugh.

 

We hop in and Alex instantly starts to fiddle with the radio.

 

“I know we brought our bags with us, but I have to stop by my house to get the keys and Dig.” I say to Alex and she nods her head in understanding.

 

The drive to my house is filled with excited talk of the trip, and me informing Alex of all the things we can do. By the time we arrive, we are both buzzing in excitement.

 

“So this is the famous Heath household?” Alex asks as we walk up to my house.

 

“Yep.” I say looking up at the house I’ve been living in for 21 years. The quaint two-story white house had a front porch and sat on a couple of acres of land.

 

“Well I think it’s very nice.”

 

“Thank you.” I turn, smiling at her. “C’mon let’s head inside.” I say leading her inside and running up the stairs. We walk into my room, I grab my bag, and begin to walk out when Alex stops me with a hand on my arm.

 

“Wait let me check out your room!”

 

“Oh Lex you don’t want to do that! It’s not that interesting” I say flustered, as I go around the room throwing clothes in the hamper. “and it’s not clean right now, and we should probably get on the road soon.”

 

“Tobin calm down I’m just lookingggggg.” Alex says and I watch as she walks around my room, observing all the details of my room. She stops when she gets to the corkboard full of photos. She takes a Polaroid picture down slowly and I look over her shoulder to see what picture she is looking at, and my heart pounds even harder then it was before when I see which one it is.

 

It’s the picture of Alex and I from last weekend. Under the picture I had written Day 1.

 

Day 1.

 

The day I finally admitted to myself that I might have feelings for Alex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not a soccer player, but I am a collegiate swimmer. I've had to do that workout that I wrote about above, and let me tell ya, that was the worst thing in the world. But enough about me, back to the story! Tobin finally admits that she has a crush on Alex!!


	11. Fall Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait on this chapter guys. Last week I had midterms, went to the game in Nashville, and then the last few days I've been sick. This chapter is more of a filler chapter. I'm writing the next one now and it's getting a bit more interestinggggg. Just wait until after fall break!! Hope you guys enjoy!

“Ok you’ve seen enough. Time to go!” I hurriedly say to Alex, as I take the picture from her, toss it onto my bed, grab her hand and my duffle bag, and walk out the door. 

“Wait I wasn’t done looking!” Alex tries to protest.

“We need to get on the road so that we can get the house set up before everyone gets there.” I say pulling her down the stairs and away from my room. 

I’m about to walk out the front door when I hear the kitchen door close. 

“Ma?” I call out, walking in the direction of the kitchen

“Tobin?” She replies. 

“Hey mom!” I say when I see her setting down her gardening basket on the kitchen counter and Dig sitting by her feet. 

“Hey Tobs. I was just in the garden with Dig picking so- Oh hello! Where are my manners.” My mom says and wipes her dirty hands on her shorts and sticking out her hand towards Alex. “ You must be Alex. Tobs doesn’t ever stop talking about. You’re right Tobin she is beautiful.”

“MOM.” I say with wide eyes and I can feel my face start to flush. I glance out of the corner of my eye to Alex and see her biting her lip to try and control the giggle I know is threatening to escape as she shakes my mother’s hand.

“What? It’s a compliment to Alex Tobin. Stop freaking out. Anyways Alex it’s nice to finally meet you.” My mom says warmly as she starts taking tomatoes out of her basket and placing them in the sink.

“We’re about to head out to the lake house Mom. We just swung by to grab my bags and Dig and say hi.” I say scooting past her to grab the keys off the hook by the kitchen door. 

“Where’s the rest of the girls?” My mom asks looking around us as if they were going to appear from around the corner magically.

“They all have classes until later today, so Alex and I are leaving early to get everything set up. You know turn on the water, get the AC going, get groceries, blah blah blah.” I say taking two apples out of the bowl on the kitchen and tossing one to Alex, who barely catches it in time. 

“Ok well you girls have fun! It was nice meeting you Alex, I hope you have a great time!” My mom says before going in for a hug that Alex returns with a smile. My mom then comes up and hugs me. 

“She’s very beautiful Tobin. I approve.” My mom whispers into my ear. 

“I love you too mom.” I pull away with an eye roll and give her a warning look.

“You girls be safe! Don’t drive the boat too fast! And only Ash is allowed to drive it other then you!” 

“I know mommmmmmmm. I’ll see you in a few days.” I say kissing her cheek. “Let’s go Dig!” I say before grabbing my stuff and leading Lex outside. 

We finally hit the road with Dig sitting between us, her tail wagging happily. When we get off the highway after about half an hour of driving, I roll down the windows and Alex cranks up the volume. 

“WOOOOOOO!!!” Alex hollers and I look at her in surprise and can’t help but laugh. 

“A little excited??” I ask with a chuckle. 

“YES! I’m so ready to hang out with you and all the other girls at the lake and the only thing I have to worry about is putting on sunscreen. I turned off my phone after sending a text to Tony of where I’ll be so he won’t totally freak out, but I don’t want to be disturbed by anyone.” Alex says with a sigh of relief. 

“Yeah I guess this will be really nice for you. A week to really relax.” 

“Yeah and I’m ready to hang with all of the girls!” 

“Yeahhhhhh the lake is pretty fun place especially when all of the girls are there! I still can’t believe you convinced Ali to come though!” I say in disbelief.

“I was too! I just approached her in the hallway with Kelley and brought it up. She was hesitant at first but when I mentioned that Ash would be disappointed she agreed immediately.” Alex giggles. 

“I hope something happens between them this weekend.”

“I know me too. I know I haven’t known Ash for very long, but I can tell she really likes her. Besides, Kelley says if nothing happens by the third day, us three are going to have to go on an under cover mission. ” Alex says shaking her head. 

“That girl is ridiculous.” I chuckle.

“You got that right.” Alex responds and then the conversation drops into a comfortable silence with just the radio playing in the background. 

I glance at Alex and my heart does somersaults. The sunlight filtering in through the window highlights her features, making her even more beautiful then normal, which I didn’t think was possible. Her hair is shining, her tan skin is glowing in the warmth of the sun, and when she turned to me, her eyes gleaming from a combination of the sun and excitement, I found myself trying to catch my breath. 

I smile at her and turn my attention back to driving and have to slam on the breaks to avoid missing our turn. 

“Damn Tobin. Your going to make us fly out the window.” Alex jokes, holding onto Dig. 

“Sorry, I almost always miss this turn.” I say as I pull down a discreet dirt road. 

Dig perks up, her nose snuffling at the scent of something and she starts to wag her tail, climbing over Alex to stick her head out the window, her tongue hanging out. After about 3 miles, the cypress, oak, and hickory trees begin to fade away, and the house and lake come into view. 

The lake house had been my grandfather’s on my mom’s side. He died a few years ago and had left this to my mom. The house sat a bit back from the edge of the lake on a hill due to the flooding of the lake that occurs regularly. A big staircase leads up to the wrap around porch of the house, and a long deck leads out to the lake with a gazebo at the end of it. 

I park the in the car port and open my door, letting Dig jump out. I breathe in the scent of brackish water and the cypress trees that surround us. 

“Wow this is a really cool place.” Alex says and I watch as she takes in the area. 

“Is that a rope swing?!?!” She points excitedly to a rope that is connected to a cypress tree but is resting on the dock. 

“Yep! It’ll swing you pretty far out too, especially with a running start!” I say as I grab both Alex and my bags from the trunk. I lead Alex and Dig up the stairs and unlock the front door. I drop the bags dramatically on the ground and take in the house that I hadn’t been in for a year. 

The living room and kitchen were decked out to the max. My grandpa loved to live lavishly and it showed. The living room had a huge black leather sectional couch, a huge HD TV with surround sound, a stocked bar in the corner of the room, and floor to ceiling windows that showed off a beautiful view of the lake. The kitchen had black marble floors, in island with matching marble, a stainless steel stove, and my favorite, a walk in refrigerator. 

Alex walks by me and whistles while twirling around the room. 

“Nice set up you have here.” 

“Yeah my grandpa gave it my mom when he passed away. My mom thought about selling it, but couldn’t part with all of the memories that it brought. But um you chill here with Dig and let me turn on all the essentials real quick!” I say and hurry around the house turning on all the appliances and water. 

When I come back to the living room I find Alex observing what my mom calls her “Wall of Fame”. It’s all types of pictures of things that have occurred at the lake house over the years. Alex laughs at a few, which makes a smile appear on my face. 

“C’mon Lex we gotta go.”

“Where are we going? We just got here!”

“Well you know Lex. We can’t survive on air. We need this thing called food.” I get out before Alex punches my arm. 

“You’re such an ass.” She chuckles before walking out the front door. I follow, locking the front door, and whistling for Dig while hopping into the car. 

I roll down the rear window and Dig sticks her head out immediately. We only have to drive 10 minutes until we get to Porkys, the grocery store we’ve been going to for years. I open the door and Dig follows me out and we begin walking towards the store. 

“Wait. You can’t bring Dig into the store.” Alex says. 

“Why not?” I ask confused. 

“Well I don’t know. Maybe because Dig is a dog.” Alex says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world and at this I smile. 

“This store is different.” I wink at Alex, grabbing her hand and leading her into the store while Dig obediently trots at my side. 

“Tobin!” I hear as soon as I walk in and see an older woman walking over our way with her signature smile on. 

“Hey Mrs. Julie!” I say before dropping Alex’s hand and am engulfed in a hug.

“I haven’t seen you in what feels like years. You can’t just skip off to Hawaii without a warning! Things got a little boring around here. I thought Johnny was going to die of boredom. Dig!” She exclaims and bends down to pet Dig, whose body is wiggling in excitement. 

“I missed you too Dig!” She chuckles. She straightens back up and only then notices Alex standing slightly behind me. 

“Oh I’m sorry you must be a friend of Tobin’s.”

“Julie, this is Alex Morgan. Alex, this is Julie Foudy, aka the coolest women ever.” I introduce the pair. 

“Hi nice to meet you Mrs. Julie.” Alex rasps out. 

“Please call me Julie. The Mrs. makes me feel old. All right well I’ll let you girls get to shopping. Tobin, stop by the deli to pick up as many burgers as you want for you and the girls. They are on the house if you promise to play at The Dock tomorrow night.” 

“Of course! Count us in!” I say automatically. 

“Great! I’ll catch up with you later!” Julie waves as she walks off. 

“Julie has been a family friend for years. I used to call her aunt Julie when I was little. And her son Frank makes the best burgers EVER.” I say my mouth watering at the thought of them. I send off a quick text to Kling to tell her to bring the equipment that we would need for the gig. 

“Oh that’s cool. And I thought you said Yo Mamas has the best burger in New Orleans.” She says and at this I hold up my finger. 

“I said Yo Mamas has the best burger in New Orleans. Porkys technically is not in New Orleans and they have the best burgers ever, and I’ve had alottttt of burgers in my life.” I say rubbing my belly. 

“Well if it’s better then Yo Mamas, I’m going to have to have it.” Alex chuckles. 

With that we begin getting what we would need for all of the girls over the week. We grab basically every type of fruit there is, breakfast, lunch, dinner, chips and dip, crackers, cookies, nutella, peanut butter, some frozen pizzas and other food that would be great to snack on. 

“Wait!” Alex calls out when we’re in the refrigerator section. I see her run to grab something and then throws it into the cart. 

“Chocolate chip cookie dough?” I ask with my eyebrows raised. 

“Pleaseeeeeee.” Alex begs, tugging on my arm while sticking out her bottom lip. My eyes dart down to her lips and I’m transfixed for a moment before I snap out of it, and walk past her without a word. 

“Tobin?” Alex calls out, but before she can say anything else, I toss another roll of cookie dough at her. 

“If I don’t get another one Kelley will eat it all.” I say and Alex gets a cheesy smile on her face. 

We pick up a few more items that are essential and then head to the check out. Our cart is completely full and I see the check out women’s eyes go wide at the sight. By the time everything is swiped, the total comes out to $437.53. I let out a sigh at this and begin digging for my wallet when Alex puts her hand on my arm and hands the cashier her card. 

“Alex wait what are you-“ I start to protest but she squeezes my arm. 

“Tobin please let me. You and the girls have done so much and have been so wonderful to me. It’s the least I can do.” Alex says to me as she accepts her card back from the cashier. 

“Fine but I’m getting the alcohol!” I insist while pushing the cart full of groceries to the deli area. 

“Hey Johnny!” I shout to the younger son of Julie who is a spitting image of her. 

“Sup Tobs!” He calls out wiping his hands on apron. 

“Nothing much just hanging here for fall break.”

“Sweet! I’ve missed my partner in crime!”

“Same dude.” I say with a large smile on my face. “Where’s Frank at?” 

“Oh you just missed him. He went on lunch break.” 

“Damn ok but your mom told me to come by and grab some hamburgers. She says they’re on the house, but we’re playing at The Docks tomorrow night for payment.”

“Alright sounds good how many do you want?” 

“Hmmm I don’t know 20.” 

“Alright that soun- Holy shit! You’re Alex Morgan!” Johnny exclaims. 

“Yep. How about them burgers Johnny?” 

“Dude you can have as many as you like.” He says but can’t take his eyes off Alex. 

“If I can get a picture I’ll throw in fries to that order.” He says looking between Alex and I. 

“Now see I knew you were good for something!” I say to Alex and she smacks me smiling while she walks up to the counter to take a selfie with Johnny. 

“Sorry it’s just my friend wouldn’t believe me if I said that Alex Morgan came into Porkys for some burgers.” Johnny said with a huge grin on his face. 

“Johnny. Burgers.” I say once I feel that Alex is starting to get uncomfortable. 

“Right. You got it.” He says turning around and walking into the kitchen. 

“And don’t forget the fries!” Alex calls after him. 

“C’mon lets go get some alcohol while we wait.” I say. 

I’m pretty sure we grab enough alcohol from the liquor store next door to last a month, much less a week. By the time we return from putting up all our groceries, Johnny is loading fries and burgers into a crate for us. 

“Here ya go!” He says happily handing it over. 

“Thanks Johnny! We’ll see ya at The Dock tomorrow night!” I call out as we walk away. 

“What is The Dock?” Alex asks me once we are in the car and driving off. 

“The Dock is a bar/waterfront restaurant/ boat dock that Julie owns. You might think because we are in the middle of nowhere that no one would go to it. But on break, it is packed! It’s a cool place to hang out at.” I explain. 

“This is going to be awesome!” Alex yells out the window.


	12. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting there people.

Alex and I are back at the house and are unloading all the groceries when we hear a car doors slam. 5 seconds later the front door burst open and Kelley jumps through the doorway. 

“FALL BREAK BITCHESSSSS!!!” Kelley yells loudly. 

“Kel calm down.” A girl I hadn’t met, whom I’m assuming is the Ann that Kelley can’t shut up about, tries to calm Kelley down. 

“Sorry Ann” I was right. “I just can’t help that I’m so excited!” 

“We know squirrel. You wouldn’t shut up the whole freaking way.” Ash grumbles as she walks through the door loaded down with several very large bags. 

“Geeze Ash I didn’t know you were going to Timbuktu after this.” I chuckle as I see her struggling under the weight of so many bags. 

“Oh only one of them is mine. The rest are hers.” She says with a dramatic head tilt to Ali who just walked through the door. 

“What? I don’t know what I might need!” Ali defends herself causing us all to laugh. 

“Yo have rooms been claimed yet?” Kling asks. 

“Um no they haven’t s-“ I say but before I can finish Kelley, Ash, Kling, and Pinoe are running off, Ash using all of Ali’s bags as a blockade. 

“The master bedroom is off limits!!” I shout after them and a chorus of disgruntled moans occur. 

“Children. All of them.” I joke. 

“Yes but they are good to keep around for laughs. Hi I’m Ann.” Ann says as she and Ali walk over to where Alex and I are putting things away.

“Hey I’m Tobin nice to meet you!” I say smiling as I put down the jar of pickles and shake her hand. 

“Hi I’m Alex.” Alex says also shaking her hand. 

“Kelley has told me so much about you two that I feel like I’ve known you for years.” She says with a soft smile. 

“Well I think we’re pretty easy to get along with. Don’t you think Kriegs?” I ask Ali. 

“Tobin I think you are the most easy going person on this planet.” Ali deadpans. 

“Wait back to the rooming situation. Who am I rooming with?” Alex asks. 

“Well I’m rooming with Kelley.” Ann says. 

“And I’m rooming with Ash.” Ali chimes in. 

“Kling and Pinoe are usually inseparable. So um you can room with me if you want or take the guest bedroom. Which ever you want.” I say nervously.

“I’ll stay with you.” Alex says with a large smile on her face and I cant help but reciprocate it. 

“So what’s for dinner tonight?” Kling asks as she walks back into the kitchen. 

“Oh me and Alex picked up burgers and fries at Porkys.” I say and collective groan of approval goes around the kitchen. 

“Dude Porkys is the best!” Ali states. 

“Yeah catch is that we have to play at The Dock tomorrow night.” I say.

“Which really isn’t a problem because we probably would have done it anyway.” Kling laughs out. 

“You’re right about that. Ok call the rest of the pigs in so we can eat! I’m starving!” I say rubbing my hands together at the sight of all the burgers and fries in front of me. 

We end up eating on the dock under the gazebo. The gazebo is far enough away from the shore so that there are hardly any bugs bothering us. I turn on the hanging lights in the gazebo when the sun has set completely. We stay out for a few hours, just drinking a couple beers and relaxing for the fun day ahead. When it starts to get late, we clean up or mess and head off to bed. 

I grab Alex and my bags off the living room floor where we had left them, and lead Alex up a flight of stairs. I open the door at the end of the hallway and allow Alex into the room. 

The master bedroom was a beauty for sure. The floor to ceiling windows showed off an even better view of the lake then that of the living room. The floors were a dark walnut, and had a large white shag rug at the end of the king sized bed. The moonlight from the windows outlined Alex’s perfect figure before I turned the lights on. 

“Your grandfather had taste.” Alex says simply. 

“Yes he did.” I say looking around the room and admiring the artwork on the walls. 

“Ok well um bathroom is through there.” I say pointing at a door. “I’m just going to go use the one down the hall so that I don’t have to wait.” I say to her and she nods her head as I leave the room. 

I take a shower, wash my face, brush my teeth, and then put on my bright green boxers with little blue anchors all over them and a large t-shirt. I walk back to the room, towel drying my hair, and find Alex already in bed on her phone. I climb into bed slowly hyper aware of Alex’s proximity, set an alarm on my phone to get up and run in the morning, and get situated to fall asleep. 

“Goodnight Lex.” I say through a yawn as exhaustion is already setting over my body. 

“Goodnight Tobin.” I hear Alex say before I am falling asleep. 

I wake up what feels like minutes later to Alex twitching in bed. Thinking she’s just shuffling around, I roll back over and try to go back to sleep. That is until Alex starts to jerk and tremble and I can hear that her breath is labored. Popping up I look at Alex in the moonlight and see that her face is scrunched into a frown, sweat is beading across her forehead, and she starts to mumble things under her breath. 

“Lex?”

“Mom no. stop. Mom.” Alex mumbles become clearer and louder with every word. 

“Alex wake up.” I say putting a hand on her shoulder and shaking her until she wakes up with a gasp. She looks at me, her dazed eyes filled with tears, upon seeing my worried face, she breaks down into quiet sobs. Taken back for a moment, I don’t do anything but snap out of it quickly and gently take Alex into my arms. She buries her head into my neck and cries so quietly into my neck, that I wouldn’t know she was crying minus the fact that I can feel tears on my skin and I’m holding her shaking figure. After a few moments of silence, and me rubbing her back gently, I break it. 

“Lex what’s wrong?” I ask softly and she holds me tighter. 

“Bad dream.” She huffs out in between sobs. 

“About what?” 

“My parents. I-I I’m in the car with them and I’m trying to tell them to stop but they wont stop. They just keep driving. And I’m shouting for them to stop. Bu-but they wont they keep going even though I’m screaming for them to stop! And then they turn around to look at me and th-that’s when the dr-drunk dr-driver hits them.” She says before breaking into sobs again. It takes me a moment to put the pieces together, but when I do I close my eyes and pull Alex closer. 

“I’m so sorry Alex.” I whisper into her hair. 

“I-I’m so sick of this dream.” Alex mutters out. 

“How long has it been going on for?” 

“4 months.” 

“When did…” 

“6 months ago.” Alex chokes out. 

“Jesus Lex. You’ve been having this dream for that long? Hasn’t anyone noticed? Hasn’t Kelley noticed?” I ask and at this Alex actually chuckles. 

“I could shoot a gun in the room and Kelley wouldn’t wake up.” Alex says. 

“Yeahhh. Well I have you now and I’m not going anywhere.” I say into her hair and I feel Alex lean further into me if that’s possible. 

“Thank you.” She whispers out as her breathing begins to even out. A few minutes later her breathing has slowed down and I realize that she’s asleep. My heart breaks for Alex. I don’t have my dad in my life but he’s still alive. I didn’t lose him because some idiot decided to drink and drive.

I look down at the girl I can feel myself slowly falling for and am terrified. Never in my life had I fallen for someone so fast. I know if I keep letting myself feel like this, I would get my heart hurt, but I couldn’t help it. She has a boyfriend and is a superstar for crying out loud. Maybe in my wildest dreams we could be something. I kiss the top of her head and begin to fall asleep again, but not before promising myself that I would do anything to take care of Alex and make her happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to back updates because you guys = awesomeness.


	13. Early Morning Runs

I wake up to the alarm on my phone blaring, once again feeling like I’ve only been asleep for minutes. I reach over with my free hand and shut my alarm off. Alex stirs awake and lifts her head from her spot in my neck. She blinks her eyes sleepily before looking at me with a small smile on her face. 

“Good morning.” She mumbles out in the cutest voice I’ve ever heard. 

“Good morning.” I reply back with a small smile on my face. 

“What time is it?”

“6:00. I was going to go for a run so you can go back to sleep.” I say climbing out of bed. 

“Wait! Can I go with you? I need to get a run in.” Alex says as she slides out of bed. 

“Yeah sure Alex!” I say as I go over to my bag and begin to change. I glance over at Alex and my jaw and the shoe in my hand drop simultaneously. Alex had her back to me and had just taken off her shirt. She didn’t have a bra on underneath. My eyes quickly travel over her toned tan skin, taking in as much as I could. I turn away before she caught me staring and reprehend myself in my head for staring at her like a horny teenage boy while she is unaware. I finish putting on my shoes just as she is finished getting ready as well. We walk down the stairs quietly, so as not to wake anyone else up, and I pat my leg for Dig to follow us outside, which she does so happily. 

“I usually just run on one of the trails that are around the lake.” I say to Alex as I stretch my legs out. 

“Ok that’s fine! It may take me a little bit to get used to. I usually run on a treadmill.” She says and I nod my head. 

We begin at a light jog at first and we have to be careful because it is still slightly dark outside. Dig sprints ahead of us and I let her knowing that she will follow wherever I go. After about 10 minutes of light jogging, I increase the pace and Alex falls in right behind me. I lead the way along the curvy path, being careful not to trip on any tree roots. I increase my pace once again, but Alex still hangs with me. My breathing starts to get a little harder the longer we go. The trees clear away and we are running along the shore of the lake. Suddenly Alex zooms past me, and I’m stunned for a moment until my competitiveness kicks in and I race after her. I catch up and we’re racing all out next to each other, our breathing coming out in quick heavy pants, our arms pumping trying to make our legs move faster, our eyes focused on the end of the shoreline which has become a silent agreement for the finish line. 

There are only a few more strides left until the finish line and I can feel Alex dying and slowing down. I’m about to smile in victory until Dig sprints from the tree line and rams right into me. I trip and land flat on my back on the hard packed mix of sand dirt. The air goes out of my lungs instantly and the only thing I can do is gulp for the non-existent air flowing through my lungs. Out of nowhere, a worried Alex is hovering over me and puts my arms above my head and pushes my knees into my chest. After a few more seconds I can feel my diaphragm relax and I take in a deep breath. I close my eyes in relief and continue to take in deep calming breaths. 

When I open my eyes, Alex is still leaning over me, her breath coming in huffs and lips slightly chapped from our exertion, and her bright blue eyes filled with worry. For a moment there, I was scared I was going to lose my breath again. 

“Are you ok?” She pants.

“No.” I croak out and her eyes search my body for an invisible injury. “My pride has been damaged beyond repair.” I groan and she slaps my shoulder playfully. 

“That’s not funny Tobin! I thought you were really hurt!” She says and I laugh. 

“Na I’m all good. I’ve had the wind knocked out of me more times then I can count. I just didn’t know Dig was going to be such a traitor and let you win.” I say sitting up slowly and looking at Dig sniffing away at the water’s edge. 

“She just likes me more.” Alex whispers dramatically. 

“TRAITOR.” I yell at Dig whose only response is a lazy look over her shoulder. 

“You know you’re much faster then I thought you were going to be.” I say as I stand and try to wipe off the sand on my back. 

“Well I run about 30 miles a week. It’s kind of my peaceful time. Oh hold on Tobin let me get that.” She says and begins to wipe the dirt off my back. Her hand brushes over my lower back and butt and I let out a little yelp at the electric shock that goes through my body at her touch. 

“Sorry my calf is starting to cramp.” I lie as I massage my calf. “Do you want to head back and make some breakfast for everyone?” I ask. 

“Yeah that sounds great!” She replies as we start slowly making our way back to the house. 

“By the time we get back its only 7:30 so the girls are still asleep. Alex starts pulling out the bacon to cook and I grab the pancake mix along with the biggest bowl I can find. 

“Geeze Tobin, got a big enough bowl??” Alex jokes as she pulls out an equally big pan. 

“Do you know how many pancakes these girls can eat?” I ask as I crack eggs into the bowl.

“You’re right. I forgot about how they devoured all that food at Kelley’s house that one time.” Alex shakes her head at the memory. 

“Yeah so get to cookin!” I jokingly order. 

We quietly move around each other effortlessly, like we had been cooking around each other for years. Soon there are stacks of pancakes and a mound of bacon. Alex and I are cutting up apples together when Kling and Pinoe come around the corner rubbing the sleep out of their eyes and sniffing the air. 

“I knew I smelled bacon!” Kling says excitedly. Pinoe starts to reach for a piece of bacon but I slap her hand before she can grab a piece. 

“Hey! What gives?!” 

“Nope. We aren’t eating until everyone is up.” Alex says while still cutting away at apples. 

“Welllllllll I am certainly not going anywhere near Kelley and Ann’s room. Me and Pinoe already had to walk by it.” Kling says with wide eyes. 

“And they were not sleeping.” Pinoe says with a smirk and Kling shudders. 

“Ew c’mon Pinoe I don’t want to hear about that before breakfast.” I say scrunching up my nose in disgust. 

“Hey I’m just telling you like it is!” Pinoe says with her hands in the air. 

“What are you guys talking about?” Ash asks as her and Ali round the corner. 

“How Kelley and Ann are totally getting it on right now.” Pinoe says. 

“I’m not hearing this. I’m not hearing this.” Kling chants with her fingers in her ears. 

“Oh trust me we know. Our bed has only inches of wall in between each other. Why do you think we came down so early?” Ash says with a chuckle.

“Yeahhh definitely not the best wake up call.” Ali giggles. 

“Ok well let’s go ahead and start without them because Kelley’s sex drive is not getting in the way of my breakfast.” I say and the rest of the girls laugh. 

Everyone dishes up, leaving enough food for Kelley and Ann, and sits down in the living room to discuss what we’re going to do today. 

“Well I say that we take the boat out and go tubing.” Ash says while digging into her pancakes. 

“Yeah! I was just going to say that.” I say. 

“What’s tubing?” Alex asks and every single head in the room looks at her like she’s crazy. 

“You’re kidding right?” Pinoe deadpans and Alex shakes her head. 

“You’ve never been tubing?” Ali inquires and Alex shakes her head again. 

“NEVER?” Ash asks and at this Alex lets out a chuckle. 

“No so if you guys could explain it that would be cool.” She says. 

“Ok so there’s a rope on the back of a boat connected to a tube. Someone or it can be two people, hang on for dear life while the boat pulls them.” I say to her. 

“Yeah and the boat driver swerves back and forth to make the tube go in the wake. The bigger the wake the more air you’ll get.” Ash says, her eyes wide with excitement. 

I look to Alex and her face says it all. She thinks we’re crazy.

“Are you out of your mind?!” 

“Whose out of their mind?” A voice from behind us says and we all turn around to see Kelley walk in with Ann right behind her. 

“Oh my goodness I never thought it would happen! You too finally stopped fucking each other!” Ash yells and Ali slaps her shoulder hard.

“You shouldn’t be slapping Ash Ail, you should slap Kel. After this morning we all know how much she loves it.” Pinoe says with an evil smirk on her face. 

“Yeah Kelley I didn’t know you were into kinky shit.” I join in on making fun of Kelley whose face was turning redder by the second. 

“Need I remind you of what I overheard this summer Pinoe?” A totally unembarrassed Ann says with an equally devious grin on her face. Pinoe’s smirk drops instantly and she narrows her eyes at Ann. 

“You wouldn’t dare.” Pinoe says and at this Ann lets out a full-blown smile and looks at all of eagerly awaiting faces. 

“Pinoe, Kelley, and I decided to go to Houston for the weekend to watch a soccer game. Well we went out to a bar-“ Ann gets out before Pinoe starts to climb over the couch to get to Ann. Ash and I however grab her and hold her down. 

“No way Pin I want to hear the rest of this story. Go on Ann.” Ash says smiling. 

“We’re in the bar and Pinoe has been following this girl around like a puppy. Kelley and are tired so we take a cab back to the hotel. We’re lying in bed about to fall asleep, when we hear Pinoe go into her room next door. One, I have never heard anyone scream that loud during sex. Two I don’t know anyone who screams ‘Yes fuck me with your banana.’” Ann gets out before the entire living room is howling with laughter. Pinoe’s face is redder then Kelley’s and she looks like she wants to sink into the ground. 

“I hate all of you.” She spits out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I do another one today??


	14. Lake Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, all of your comments are cracking me up. Some actually made me laugh out loud, I think my roommate thinks I'm crazy lol. Anyways hope you enjoy!

We clean up after breakfast quickly and run to our rooms to change into our swimsuits. I keep my back turned to Alex so I don’t get distracted by her body again. I pull on a black bikini but put some Nike shorts and a t-shirt over it before turning around and looking at Alex. When I turn around I feel my heart beat faster at the sight of Alex in the cobalt bikini that left nothing to the imagination and made her blue eyes an even brighter shade of blue. 

“Um you should at least bring some Nike shorts or something.” I say while sliding flip-flops onto my feet. 

“Why? We’re just going to be on the boat aren’t we?” Alex asks. 

“Yeah but you see, if you only wear your bikini bottoms and fall off of the tube, which you will, then you’re bottoms are going to go flying.” I say with a smirk. Alex hesitates for a moment before quickly grabbing a pair of athletic shorts. I shoot a grin at her before racing down the stairs, ready to get on the water. Dig follows me as I run to the shed to grab the equipment needed for tubing. 

I’m caring the tube over my back down the dock when I see all of the girls walk out of the house. Ash has an ice chest in her hand and Kelley is caring a large tote bag. I toss the tube into the boat and put my hands on my hips and one leg up on the side of the boat. 

“Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger!” I call out in my best pirate imitation. 

“Alright Captain Hook calm yourself.” Pinoe says as she climbs cautiously onto the boat. 

“Shut up Pinoe.” I chuckle. 

The rest of the girls slowly pile onto the boat, Alex bringing up the rear and I hold out my hand to help her onto the boat. She looks over and smiles as she takes my hand and a shot of electricity goes through my whole body. I inhale sharply and drop Alex’s hand quickly and turn to everyone in the boat.

“You know the drill people. Everyone put on life jackets.” I say as put my own on. All the girls are pulling on their life jackets, and I see Alex struggling with hers. Sighing I walk over and help Alex with the straps and buckles. Alex smiles sweetly at me and I return it without a second thought. 

“Alright lets get this party started!” I say clapping my hands together and walking to the front of the boat, Dig following me like she always does. 

 

I start the boat and slowly pull away from the dock. I hit the gas once we’re out of the wake zone and cruise out to an area of the lake that I know there isn’t a lot of boat traffic. Once we’re in the area that I’m comfortable with, I cut the engine and turn around to face the girls. 

“Who wants to go first?!” 

“ME AND ALI!!” Ash yells out right before Kling and Pinoe even have a chance to raise their hands. 

“Alright! Ash help me tie it up and then we’ll be good to go!”

Ash and me make quick work of the tube, and soon we have it floating behind the boat and Ash and Ali are gripping on tight to it. 

“Ready?” I shout to them and Ash throws up her thumb.

“Here we go.” I say as I hit the gas. 

I build up speed before turning the boat, sending the tube soaring into the air with Ash and Ali holding on for dear life. I hear Ali’s high pitch screech as I whip the steering wheel the other way, sending them straight towards another huge wake. This time Ali loses her grip and slips off of the tube. Ash looks back at Ali falling off and lets go of the tube. 

I swing the boat around and can see their smiling faces from a mile away. I pick them up and this continues until all of the girls but Alex have taken a ride on the tube. 

“You don’t want to ride it?” I ask Alex as I turn the boat around to pick up Kelley and Ann who had just flown off. 

“I’m kind of scared to.” Alex admits. 

“Do you want me to ride it with you?” I ask her and she nods her head at me. 

“Ok.” I say smiling. “Ash will you drive the boat so that Alex and I can go on the tube?”

“Of course Tobs.” Ash says and pops up from her spot next to Ali. I turn and grab Alex by both of her shoulders, my eyes wide with excitement. 

“You’re going to love this!”

3 minutes later.

“Tobin are you sure this is safe?” Alex asked me nervously. 

“Alex. Do you think I would let you do something that wasn’t safe?” 

“No. It’s just this-“

“Alex. Relax.” I smile at her. “This is going to be fun. Just hold on tight ok.” I say and hold a thumbs up to Ash to verify that we’re ready. 

As soon as Ash starts the motor and we start moving, Alex squeals, which makes me throw my head back and laugh. Ash picks up the speed and begins to bring us into our first turn. The tube flings out to the right and Alex’s body presses against me as we grip on to the handles. Ash straightens out before turning the steering wheel and sending us speeding towards a huge wake. Alex lets out a scream and all I can do is laugh and smile as we go airborne. 

“Tobin Tobin I’m slipping! I’m slipping!” Alex lets out in between laughs. 

“Hold on Lex!” I yell out while trying to grab her arm. 

“I can’t!” She shouts and then she starts to slip down the tube. Alex grabs my leg as she slides down the tube, and I try to hold on as tight as I can.

“Alex let go!” I shout.

“Never!” She shouts and then tugs my leg, causing me to lose my grip on the handle and slip off the tube. I come up spluttering water out of my mouth and see Alex doing the same a few feet from me. 

“You suck!” I splash Alex and she laughs at me before suddenly screaming.

“Something just brushed my leg” She shouts and basically launches herself at me, gripping onto my arms for dear life. I smile and my eyes fall down to Alex’s lips that are only inches apart from mine. My eyes flick up to Alex’s and to my surprise, I see that her eyes are staring at my own lips. 

“Tobin.” She whispers. 

“Woh that was a malicious move Alex! You dragging Tobin in the water was awesome!” Kelley calls out right before I open my mouth to speak. 

Alex jumps, startled, before pushing away from me and swimming over to the boat. 

“Fucking Kelley.” I curse under my breath for her ruining the moment Alex and I were in as I swim in. 

I climb out and see Alex reaching for a water in the ice chest. Letting out a sigh and scratching the back of my neck, I walk over and relieve Ash of her piloting duties. The girls take several more rounds of tubing before they tire out. As we’re headed back to the dock, Alex walks up to me and stands silently next to me. 

“Tobin?”

“Yeah Lex?” I ask turning to Alex who is twiddling her thumbs.

“Do you think I could try driving?” She asks in a small voice.

“Yeah.” I smile at her and stand, letting her sit in the seat. 

“Ok now all you have to do is steer it like you would with a car. The lake is easy and doesn’t have any current so it’s nice for a beginner to start off on.” I explain to Alex and she sits straight up so that she can see over the nose of the boat. 

“Look at you! You’re a natural!” I say watching as she sits proudly at the wheel.

“Just call me Captain Morgan!” Alex says happily. 

“Did somebody say Captain Morgan??” Pinoe asks popping her head up from the seat she was sprawled out on. 

“Not that type of Captain Morgan.” I say with an eye roll. 

“Damn I could really go for some rum right now. This one here drank all the beer.” Pinoe says tapping Ashlyn with her foot. 

“Hey. It’s not my fault Tobin bought my favorite beer.” Ash lazily says. “Chill, I’ll buy all the rum you want at The Docks tonight.” 

“Well. I don’t have a problem with you drinking all the beer anymore.” Pinoe says with a chuckle. 

“Oh man I can not wait to go to The Dock tonight! I haven’t been there in forever!” Ali exclaims. 

“Same!” I shout out from my place next to Alex. 

“It’s not our fault you were in Hawaii all summer!” Kling yells. 

“Geeze you guys aren’t going to let that go are you?” I ask. 

“Nope!” The entire boat says in unison, which makes me shake my head and laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will have another chapter out tomorrow!


	15. Dance With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @Hende987 *in fake British accent* Ya welcome mate.

We get back to the dock and everyone slowly files into the house, exhausted from the 5 hours we just spent on the lake.

 

“A grilled cheese is calling my name.” Kling moans as we slowly trudge up the steps.

 

“Oh my god that sounds amazinggg.” Ali groans.

 

“Right? And like not a normal grilled cheese. The Klingenmyster.”

 

“I want one!” Ali and Ann say at the same time.

 

“I want two!” I wheeze out from under the weight of the tube.

 

“What the heck is the Klingenmyster?” Alex asks befuddled.

 

“It’s a really good sandwich that Kling made up a few years ago.” I explain.

 

“It’s got Colby jack cheese, bacon, a fried egg, cilantro, onion, spinach, apple-“ Kling rambles off.

 

“Apple?” Alex asks surprised.

 

“Don’t judge it before you try it.” I say with my eyebrows raised.

 

“It seems like there are a lot of things I need to try.” Alex says with a giggle.

 

“And you’re going to try all of them by the end of the year!” Kelley shouts, swinging her arm around Alex’s neck.

 

We clean up as Kling starts cooking her masterpiece of a sandwich. When I come down stairs, my two are already sitting on a plate. I grab Kling’s head and kiss it, while she just pushes me away so she can focus on flipping the monstrous sandwich. Alex sits down with hers next, and when she takes a bite out of it, an involuntary moan escapes from her lips.

 

“Kling. I will never question your cooking skills ever again. Damn.” Alex says before inhaling another bite.

 

“Good stuff isn’t it?” I ask and all Alex can do is nod her head.

 

A few hours later, after hanging out and getting ready, we’re walking out the door to head to The Dock. We decided to take Kling’s van and my car. Ash, Ali, Pinoe, Alex, and I pile into my car while the rest get into Kling’s van. The Dock is only a couple of miles down the road so we get there in a few minutes.

 

The Dock is what it sounds like, a bar/restaurant that is built out on the water with a dock leading to it. We had been coming here for years, ever since we were old enough to sneak in, acting like we were 18. I grab my guitar case out of the trunk of my car and walk with Alex into The Dock.

 

The dock itself has lights wrapped around each of the post, illuminating the path into the bar. When we walk in I see Alex’s eyes light up in excitement. She takes in the easy-going atmosphere that The Dock gives off. Being 5 o’clock, the bar only had a few older people

 

“Girls!” I hear and spin around to see Julie walking towards us.

 

“Hey Julie!”

 

“So here’s the plan. You guys will play from 6-9 and then another band will take over for the late shift.” Julie informs me and the rest of the band who just walked up from behind me.

 

“Sounds good to me!” Pinoe says before the girls start hauling equipment to the stage.

 

“Julie you remember Alex right?” I ask Julie.

 

“Yes of course!”

 

“Well is it possible for you to keep her behind the bar with you?” I ask.

 

“Oh Tobin I don’t want to be a hassle.” Alex says putting her hand on my arm.

 

“Do you want to be bothered by all the boys that Johnny, no offense Julie I love Johnny, but all of his frat friends that will probably be coming tonight?” I ask her and she seems to ponder it a moment before shaking her head and looking at me with a smile.

 

“Yeah that’s no problem Tobs! Just come by when they’re about to start.” Julie says nicely to Alex before walking away. Alex stands there quietly and I realize I might have stepped over boundaries.

 

“Shit I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to speak for you. I-I just know that you don’t like being hit on or bugged when we’re out. I’m sor-“ I ramble on looking down at my feet until I feel Alex put a finger under my chin to lift my head.

 

“Tobin. That is one of the most thoughtful things that someone has done for me in a while. Thank you.” Alex says before kissing my cheek and walking towards the bar. I however, am rooted in my spot.

 

“Holy Mary Mother of God.” I mutter under my breath as I watch her walk away. Taking a deep breath, my eyes rolling to the ceiling, I shake my head before walking to the stage.

 

We get everything set up, and when 6 o’clock rolls around, more people have rolled into the bar. I strap on my guitar and look towards the west side of the bar and see Alex smiling at me from her spot on a stool behind the bar. I smile back brightly at her before turning to the crowd.

 

“Hey everyone! Nice to be here at The Dock tonight!” I say and a cheer goes up from the crowd. “ We’re Wolfgang Rythem bringing you some tunes, Julie will happily provide you with alcohol, and to me that sounds like a good mix for a perfect night, so lets get it started!” I bellow into the mike and an even louder cheer comes from the crowd. I turn to Ash and do a silent count down by tilting my head before strumming my guitar and turning back to the mike.

 

Link to song: [Island in the Sun](https://youtu.be/0C3zgYW_FAM)

 

 

**When you're on a holiday**

**You can't find the words to say**

**All the things that come to you**

**And I wanna feel it too**

**On an island in the sun**

**We'll be playing and having fun**

**And it makes me feel so fine**

**I can't control my brain**

**Hip hip**

**Hip hip**

**When you're on a golden sea**

**You don't need no memory**

**Just a place to call your own**

**As we drift into the zone**

**On an island in the sun**

**We'll be playing and having fun**

**And it makes me feel so fine**

**I can't control my brain**

**We'll run away together**

**We'll spend some time forever**

**We'll never feel bad anymore**

**Hip hip**

**Hip hip**

**Hip hip**

**On an island in the sun**

**We'll be playing and having fun**

**And it makes me feel so fine**

**I can't control my brain**

**We'll run away together**

**We'll spend some time forever**

**We'll never feel bad anymore**

**Hip hip**

**We'll never feel bad anymore**

**No no**

**We'll never feel bad anymore**

**No no**

**No no**

**No no**

 

The last few notes of the song are played and the crowd claps their hands together. I look over to Alex and she gives me a thumbs up, which makes me crack a grin.

 

Link to song: [This Afternoon](https://youtu.be/YbP1K-bQB6g)

 

 

**Lookin' like another Bob Marley day**

**Hittin' from the bong like a diesel train**

**And I'm down with hangin' out this afternoon**

**We've got weeds in the backyard 4 feet tall**

**Cheech and Chong prob'ly woulda' smoked 'em all**

**So I'm out on the couch this afternoon**

**Beer bottles layin' on the kitchen floor**

**If we take 'em all back we can buy some more**

**So I doubt we'll go without this afternoon**

**You better hang on if you're taggin' along**

**Cause we'll be doin this 'till 6 in the mornin'**

**Nothin' wrong with goin' all night long**

**Tough to put the brakes on,**

**Doesn't matter when you'd rather**

**Get up, and go out**

**Me and all my friends**

**We drink up, We fall down**

**And then we do it all again**

**Just sittin around, hangin out this afternoon**

**Landlord said I should buy a tent**

**But he can kiss my ass cause I payed the rent**

**So I doubt he'll kick me out this afternoon**

**Down on the corner in a seedy bar**

**Juke box crankin' out the CCR**

**Had a few to Suzy Q this afternoon**

**Don't wanna wristwatch or an alarm clock**

**To see what time it is**

**From the moment I wake up**

**I just love being with my friends**

**We barely get by, but have the best times**

**And hope it never ends**

**We drink all day till we fall down**

**So we can do it all again**

**It's not the human walk**

**It's the human race**

**If you aint livin on the edge**

**You're takin' too much space**

**So I doubt I'll figure out**

**Just what to do**

**'Bout to kick it around**

**Hangin out this afternoon**

**Get up, and go out**

**Me and all my friends**

**We drink up, we fall down**

**And then we do it all again**

**Just kickin' around, hangin out this afternoon**

**Sittin around hangin out this afternoon**

**Just kickin' around, hangin out this afternoon**

**Just sittin around hangin out this afternoon**

**Just kickin' around, hangin out this afternoon**

**Just sittin around hangin out this afternoon**

I sing this song with a smile on my face and I look to the side to see Kelley with an equally big grin on her face. When we finish a couple of people hoot and holler. We play for another hour or so before deciding to take a break.

 

“We’re going to take a quick break, we’ll be right back.” I say into the mike as we wrap up a song.

 

As I slide through the crowd I cant help but notice that the bar has more people in it then I can ever recall. I basically have to squeeze my way through people to reach the corner of the bar.

 

“This is crazy!” I shout to Julie who is hectically making drinks.

 

“I know! You’re friend here just draws them in!” She says as she gives a guy his drink. I look past Julie to see Alex actually pouring shots for people.

 

“Alex?!” I yell in surprise and she turns to me with a smile.

 

“Hey Tobin!” She waves with the tequila bottle still in her hand.

 

“What are you doing?” I chuckle.

 

“Well Julie was swamped and I couldn’t just sit there so I started pouring shots and simple drinks that I know how to make!” She says excitedly.

 

“And you’re ok with this?” I ask slowly.

 

“Yeah! I’m having a blasts!” She exclaims excitedly.

 

“What about them?” I ask nodding at the people taking pictures of her and she shrugs.

 

“It was going to happen anyways. Now at least there’s a barrier between.”

 

“Tobin stop worrying about the girl and let her pour the damn drinks.” Julie says to me in her raspy voice.

 

“Ok.” I say grinning as I see that Alex truly is enjoying herself. “Well then can I get a Fat Tire please?” I say to Alex who just shakes her head with a smile before walking over to me.

 

“My my my. How the tables have turned.” She giggles as she hands me my beer.

 

“Don’t worry they’ll be back to normal next week.” I say and she smiles at me. We stare at each other for what seems like forever, until Kelley interrupts us. Again.

 

“Yo Tobs you ready to start the second half?” Kelley says popping up right behind me. I sigh before taking a long swing of my beer before setting it down and turning to see Kelley.

 

“Yep. Lets do it.” I say and turn giving Alex a wink as I head off to fight my way back to the stage.

 

“Woo! It’s a little crowded in here.” I joke into the mike once I’m back on stage, which cause a couple of chuckles to emerge from the crowd. I look back to Ash and she counts down the beat by hitting her drumsticks together.

 

 

 

Link to song: [New Shoes](https://youtu.be/1deZbUOzTQQ)

 

 

**Woke up cold one Tuesday,**

**I'm looking tired and feeling quite sick,**

**I felt like there was something missing in my day to day life,**

**So I quickly opened the wardrobe,**

**Pulled out some jeans and a T-Shirt that seemed clean,**

**Topped it off with a pair of old shoes,**

**That were ripped around the seams,**

**And I thought these shoes just don't suit me.**

**Hey, I put some new shoes on,**

**And suddenly everything is right,**

**I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,**

**It's so inviting,**

**Oh, short on money,**

**But long on time,**

**Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,**

**And I'm running late,**

**And I don't need an excuse,**

**'Cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.**

**Woke up late one Thursday,**

**And I'm seeing stars as I'm rubbing my eyes,**

**And I felt like there were two days missing,**

**As I focused on the time,**

**And I made my way to the kitchen,**

**But I had to stop from the shock of what I found,**

**A room full of all off my friends all dancing round and round,**

**And I thought hello new shoes,**

**Bye bye them blues.**

**Hey, I put some new shoes on,**

**And suddenly everything is right,**

**I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,**

**It's so inviting,**

**Oh, short on money,**

**But long on time,**

**Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,**

**And I'm running late,**

**And I don't need an excuse,**

**'Cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.**

**Take me wandering through these streets,**

**Where bright lights and angels meet,**

**Stone to stone they take me on,**

**I'm walking till' the break of dawn.**

**Hey, I put some new shoes on,**

**And suddenly everything is right,**

**I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,**

**It's so inviting,**

**Oh, short on money,**

**But long on time,**

**Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,**

**And I'm running late,**

**And I don't need an excuse,**

**'Cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.**

**Hey, I put some new shoes on,**

**And suddenly everything is right,**

**I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,**

**It's so inviting,**

**Oh, short on money,**

**But long on time,**

**Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,**

**And I'm running late,**

**And I don't need an excuse,**

**'Cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.**

**Take me wandering through these streets**

 

 

**“** Alright guys that was the last song from us! Tequila Mockingbird is going to take over now! Have a goodnight!” I call out to the cheering crowd as I hop off the stage with my guitar. I put it back in its case in the backstage room before I make my way to the bar again. When I get there I see Alex is still serving drinks with a smile on her face.

 

“Hey superstar!” I call out to her and I see her head pop up and whirling around trying to locate me. When it does, she smiles wider and saunters over to me.

 

“Still having fun?”

 

“Mhmmmm.”

 

“Good. Take some shots with me.” I say to her and her eyes alight with excitement, and she reaches down and brings up a bottle of rum and two shot glasses.

 

“How many are we going to take?” She asks, practically bouncing with exhilaration.

 

“5.”

 

“5?!”

 

“Are you chicken?” I challenge with an eyebrow raised and Alex squints her eyes at me.

 

“You’re on Heath.” She says as she pours the first shot.

 

We take the 5 shots in quick succession, and I know it’s only a matter of minutes before I will feel the alcohol flowing through my system. Tequila Mockingbird starts playing and I feel the beat of the drum vibrate through the floors.

 

“Come dance with me.” I say quietly to Alex.

 

“What?” She shouts over the music and leans in to hear me better.

 

“Dance with me.” I say staring into her eyes and she looks at me with a blank expression on her face before responding.

 

“Ok.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooooooooooo boy.


	16. A Little Drunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Goose1713 for liking New Belgium Fat Tire. Also thanks for the recommendation for Blue Paddle! Here we go guys! Hope you enjoyyyyyyy

Alex walks around the bar and takes my outstretched hand in hers and I lead her to the middle of the dance floor. We get to the middle of the dance floor, and the sweaty mass of people all swaying together, push us close to one another. The beat of the music flowing from the stage is unfamiliar, but the pulsation throbs throughout my body. 

Alex is about a foot in front of me and I see that she is not completely comfortable, and her movements are jerky and awkward unlike mine. With the alcohol now flowing through my blood I reach out hook my arm around the Alex’s lower back, bringing her closer. 

“Like this.” I say placing my hands on her hips and moving them in synchronization with mine. 

Alex keeps her head down and watches my feet, trying to copy each move that I made. I put my finger under her chin, to get her to look at me. 

“Don’t look, just feel.” I whisper. 

“I’m sorry I’m not a very good dancer.” She chuckles nervously. 

“Well lucky for you, I am. It’s not that hard, just move to the rhythm of the music.” I say stepping back so that Alex could see how to just let her hips flow to the beat. I have to bite my lip to stop the laugh from escaping my throat as I see Alex nod her head to the beat in concentration as she watches my hips. 

“Here.” I say moving close to her again, but this time twirling her around so that her back is placed to my front. I grab her hands and put them on her hips, keeping mine there as I move my hips slowly to the beat. Alex slowly becomes comfortable and then starts to move her hips against me. I clench my jaw and close my eyes as desire instantly overwhelms my system. I lower my head at the hopelessness of my state, but it only worsens my situation when the fragrance of roses and honey arise from Alex’s slightly perspiring neck. 

In my alcohol-dazed condition, I get lost in the music and Alex’s swaying hips. I don’t know how long we stay like this; just dancing closely against one another, but at some point Alex spins around and dangles one of her arms around my neck, with the other clutching on to my slightly damp loose white V-neck. I look down at Alex’s lips and lick my own with the desire I have to simply just lean down and connect my lips to hers. 

“We need more alcohol!” I suddenly say, backing away from Alex and taking a deep breath. “C’mon.” I say and drag her towards the bar. 

“Julie can you hand us a bottle of Cruzan Single Barrel and two shot glasses please!” I shout to Julie over the noise of the band and the people hovering by the bar. She gives out a little snort before bending down to grab the bottle of rum and slides it across the bar with two glasses, and I slam $40 on the bar and raise the bottle in thanks. I grab the two glasses with my fingers and am turning around, ready to take shots with Alex, when I see her in a conversation with a guy. 

“Really?! Me and my friends go to Tulane!” I hear Alex say to the guy while slapping his chest with the back of her hand. 

“Yeah? You guys should come to our party next week!” The guy says excitedly with an accent. 

“Oh Tobin! This is Brian! He’s on the swim team at Tulane and is from South Africa.” Alex says with an impressed look on her face. 

“Nice to meet you Brian, Tobin.” I say shaking his hand, which he shakes happily. 

“Nice to meet you too Tobin, you guys were awesome by the way.” He compliments. 

“Thanks man!” I say with a smile and he smiles at me before turning his attention back to Alex.

“Would you do me the honor of dancing with me Alex?” He asks in his intoxicating accent, and Alex looks at me with a pleading face.

“Why are you asking me? If you want to dance, dance!” I say with a laugh as I push away the sinking feeling in my stomach. 

“One dance!” She says to Brian holding her finger up. “Tobin and I have an appointment with that bottle of rum.” She says and he laughs.

“I will take one dance.” He says and then bows, sticking his hand out, before leading her to the dance floor. I watch for only a moment as Alex dances with him, more confident now then when she first started with me, and I can only stomach it for so long before I turn to the bar and open up the bottle of rum. I pour a shot and quickly knock it back, savoring the taste and the warmth it brings as it travels through my body. 

“Looking for a shot buddy?” I hear a voice next to me say. I turn around and am faced with a beautiful blonde that had hazel eyes, full lips, and a splattering of freckles across her nose. 

“Well I was going to take them with my friend but, she went off dancing.” I say trying to hide the bitterness in my voice. 

“She seems to be a little preoccupied, and Cruzan Single Barrel happens to be my favorite rum.” The girl says while smirking at me. I hesitate for a minute before a slow smile crosses my face. 

“Erin.” She says sticking out her hand, which I take. 

“Tobin.”

“I know who you are, I’m a big fan of your band.” She says still holding onto my hand. 

“Thank you.” I say grinning and letting go of her hand to grab the bottle of rum and pouring two shots. She takes hers slowly, without taking her eyes off of me and I can’t help but forget about Alex for a split second. I take mine just as slowly, and I can feel the sexual allure rolling off of Erin. 

“Do you want to dance wi-“ Erin begins to say but is interrupted by Alex.

“Tobin!” Alex shouts as she runs into me and holds onto my arm tightly.

“Hey Lex! Done dancing with Brian already?” I ask looking over her shoulder to see Brian wave from his corner of friends. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy. 

“I told you just one dance! Plus he wasn’t as good of a dancer as you are.” She says with a shrug of her shoulders. “Are we going to take those shots now?” She asks tugging on my arm and I cant help but smile at her excitement over taking shots. I glance up at Erin who has a small smile on her face before nodding her head. 

“Maybe another time.” She says dragging her fingertips along my arm as she walks away, sticking a piece of paper into my pocket. I breathe a sigh of relief at Erin picking up on the situation so effortlessly and look down at Alex, smiling wider now. 

“Yeah, but let’s get out of here.” I say grabbing the bottle in one hand, and Alex’s hand with my other.

“What about the other girls?” Alex questions as she follows after me through the crowd. 

“They’ll be fine. We’re only 3 miles down the road so if worst comes to worst they’ll walk back like what we’re doing.” I say as I lead her down the illuminated dock to the edge of the lake. We could walk along the shoreline all the way back to the lake house. 

“We’re walking back?!” Alex exclaims. 

“Well are you fit enough to drive?” 

“Noooooo.” She sighs while stomping her feet next to me. I laugh and take a swig straight from the bottle before handing it to Alex, and she takes a longer drink then me without hesitation. 

“Plus it’s a beautiful night.” I say motioning to the sky that had no clouds, and the stars shined brightly. 

“Tobinnnn.” Alex sings swinging around a lamppost. 

“Yes Lex?” I chuckle as I walk slowly over to her. 

“Dance with me again.” She says sweetly, and it takes all of my being to not melt where I stood. 

“Ok.” I say bashfully as I walk closer to Alex. 

I take the rum bottle out of her hand and place it on the sand before taking my hand in hers, and placing the other on her waist. She falls into me, unsteady from all the alcohol we consumed and we laugh together at her clumsiness. We could still hear the music, drifting over the water, and we slowly swayed along with it. I recognize the tune, and hum softly into Alex’s ear. We dance against one another, holding each other close. I lose track of time, as we are in our own small world, twirling in an unhurried circle. After what feels like hours, the music stops, and Alex leans back and looks at my face closely, her lips pursed as if she were thinking deeply. 

“Tobi-“

“Yo! You guys had the same idea as us?!” Kelley shouts as she runs down the shore, tugging Ann along with her. Alex jumps away from me so quickly, you would have thought she had been burned. I close my eyes and clench my fist to restrain myself from going over and shaking Kelley by the neck. I look up and see Kelley basically in front of us now. I glance past Kelley and see Pinoe and Kling leaning against one another, and beyond them I raise my eyebrows in surprise. I see Ash and Ali, hidden underneath the dock, in the shadows, locked in a passionate embrace. Deciding to keep it to myself, I turn back to Alex and see that she is taking a hefty gulp from the bottle of rum, avoiding my eyes.

Shit.

“None of us are obviously in the state to drive, and we don’t know where Ash and Ali went so we decided to just walk along the shore back to the lake house like we always used to do!” Kelley says drunkenly motioning to the shoreline in front of us. 

“That was the best summer ever.” Kling slurs while hanging onto Pinoe. 

“What the summer of freshmen year?” Pinoe asks. 

“Yeahhhhh! Man that was seriously the best summer of my life.” Kling exclaims loudly. 

“Yesssss.” Pinoe says drunkenly. 

“BEST SUMMER EVER!” Kelley says jumping onto my back and I can’t help but smile at the goofiness of my drunken friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things starting to heat up noww. Got a nice little stew going


	17. Feelings are Stupid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be updating until the weekend. I came down with something and am super sick and feel like utter shit. Anyways hope you guys enjoy!

I open my bleary eyes slowly to see what was hitting my face. I see that Dig is next to me, nudging her nose against my cheek. When she sees that I am awake she stands and whines as she runs to the door. I stand, and only then do I realize I had slept on the couch last night in last night’s attire. I rub my hands over my eyes as I let Dig out. I’m on my way to the kitchen when I hear a pitter-patter of feet coming around the corner. Ash comes around the corner tiptoeing but freezes when she sees me. 

“Someone has some explaining to do.” I say quietly with a smirk. 

“Same goes to you dude.” She says with her eyebrows raised. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I say reaching for the orange juice in the fridge, taking a swig straight from the bottle. 

“Don’t insulate my intelligence Tobin.” Ash says taking the juice out of my hand and taking a sip herself. I look at her before sighing and looking down at my feet, rubbing the back of my neck. 

“C’mon let’s go for a walk.” Ash says.

“Wait I’m still in my clothes from last night.” I protest eyeing my white V-neck and black shorts. 

“Who cares? We’re just walking along the shoreline. Plus it’s 6:45 in the morning. Let’s go.” She says walking out the door without looking back. I exhale loudly as I resentfully follow Ash out the door. I catch up to Ash and we stroll along the shore of the lake, Dig trotting behind us. 

“Soooo what’s going on with you and Ali?” I say bumping shoulders with her, which causes her to smile bashfully. 

“I don’t know.”

“Ash, I saw you and Ali under the dock last night.” I say and Ash turns to look at me, before putting her hands up to her face. 

“I don’t know what to do Tobin.” She groans out in between her fingers and then mumbles something incoherent. 

“What was that?” I ask, leaning forward to hear her better. 

“I love her.” She chokes out and I see tears forming in her eyes. “I can’t help it. I know she has a boyfriend, but but there’s such a strong connection with us Tobin. I know she feels it too. She’s just too terrified to admit it.”

“Well what about last night?” 

“She was really drunk, I wasn’t drinking much, so she was a lot more flirtatious then normal. And I just didn’t have the will power to stop her when she kissed me. I mean I’ve been dreaming about that for years now and I know she won’t remember any of it or she’ll pretend like she doesn’t remember it.” Ash sniffles out as she kicks a rock as hard as she can into the water before sitting on the sand. 

“I don’t know what to do Tobs.” She whispers out. 

“Just go with it Ash. I mean she obviously has feelings for you if she fucking kissed you.” I say putting a hand on her shoulder as I sit next to her. 

“I’m just terrified that if I do something or if I move to fast or say something she’s going to go running for the hills and not want to even be my friend. I can’t let that happen Tobin. I need her in my life. Even if it is just as a friend.” Ash mumbles out while wiping away a single tear. I put an arm around her shoulder, and Ashlyn leans into me. Ashyln showing this much weakness meant this situation was serious. She has always been the rock for us, and now it’s like she’s been crumbled into pieces. We sit there for a few minutes, watching the small waves of the lake hit the shore, with Ash occasionally sniffing. 

“So.” Ash says straightening up and wiping her nose. “What’s up with you and Alex?” 

“Nothing.” I say messing with the sand. 

“Tobin I saw you guys dancing last night. Dude. I don’t think you guys realize how sexual you guys looked. You had a small circle just watching you two dance against one another. You’re lucky none of the other girls saw you or they would definitely have said something.” Ash says with her eyebrows raised. This time it is me who brings my hands up to my face and rubs it, as if it could clear up the situation. 

“Nothing is going to happen.” 

“C’mon Tobs you cant say to me tha-“

“It’s different Ash!” I interrupt her abruptly.

“How?!”

“No offense to Ali, like at all, but its Alex Morgan. She’s a huge movie star who is the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen a lot of beautiful women, but she is just. I can’t find words to describe her.” I say standing now and pacing in front of Ash. 

“Tobin you’re no better then me if you hide you’re feelings.” 

“Ash I don’t want these feelings! All they are going to cause is heartbreak for me! You know it’s true! She’s going to be gone from my life in May.” I shout, starting to feel the weight that has been on my chest the last few weeks finally starting to lift. 

“I’m sorry Tobin.”

“Feelings are stupid.” I say, throwing a chunk of clay into the lake. 

“Yep. They are.” Ash agrees and we sit peacefully on the sand for a good amount of time. 

“Just promise me you won’t completely close off the idea.” Ash begs, breaking the silence and I’m quiet for a moment. 

“The only way I’ll do that is if you tell Ali how you actually feel.” I bargain with Ash.

“Fine.”

“By the end of this trip.” I push and Ash clenches her jaw. 

“Fine.”

“Today?”

“Don’t push you’re luck Heath!” Ash growls and I laugh. 

“Sorry about before at Abby’s Pub. I honestly don’t know how I could have missed that you felt for Ali like that. Now that I’ve been informed, it’s all I can see.” I apologize. 

“No it’s ok Tobs. I just got upset because I hate being reminded that she is dating that fucking dick Brent who doesn’t appreciate how great Ali is.” Ash says, the corners of her mouth twisting up in disgust. 

“Well why don’t you just use that Harris charm to get Ali to break up with him?” I jokingly ask and she drops her head laughing. 

“Working on it.” She chuckles out. 

“Ash.”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for this. I needed it.” 

“Yeah I know. Why do you think I let you yell at me dude?” She says and this time it’s me laughing. 

“Shut up.” I say pushing her shoulder. 

“We should head back before everyone else wakes up.” She says, standing up and wiping the sand off of herself. 

“How hung over do you think everyone is?” I ask as we walk back and Ash lets out a snort. 

“Well unlike you Tobin, everyone usually gets a killer hang over after drinking as much as we did last night. I’m just lucky that I didn’t drink enough to be dying right now.”

“Hey it’s not my fault my body has blessed me with the inability to get hang overs.” I say smugly. 

“You seriously suck.” Ash grumbles. 

“You love me!” I say. 

“Unfortunately.” She says smirking. 

“Whatever. You want to cook eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast?” I ask as we walk onto the porch.

“Yeah sounds good to me.” Ash says quietly when we make our way through the house. 

We have everything cooked before we hear the first sign of life. Ann comes around the corner, dragging a very haggard looking Kelley. Ash and I cannot contain the snort that escapes from our lips when we see Kelley. 

“Is someone a little hung over?” I ask and all Kelley does is grunt and flip us off.

“So is that a no to mimosas?” Ash jokes, and at the mention of alcohol, Kelley’s face turns white and she shakes her head vigorously, but stops instantly to clutch it in pain. 

“Ughhhh. I’m never drinking again.” Kelley moans while Ann just laughs at her. 

“I second that.” Alex says as she and Ali come around the corner. 

“I don’t want to even think about alcohol.” Ali says with a shudder.

“Yeah I don’t remember anything from last night.” Alex huffs out, plopping down onto the couch. 

“Same.” Ali groans out, with her face between her hands, and I see Ashlyn’s shoulders drop at the statement. 

“Nothing?” Ashlyn and I ask at the same time. 

“I lost all memory after taking those 5 shots with you Tobin.” Alex says and my heart stings a little at her not remembering us dancing together. 

“Now see that was your mistake right there. Don’t ever drink with Tobin. She will get you FUCKED up.” Kelley says. 

“Hey don’t go blaming me. You guys look pretty fucked up and that’s not my fault. Well. Maybe Alex’s is, but the rest of you have only yourselves to blame.” I say pointing the spatula at Ali and Kelley. 

“I crown this day a day of rest.” Kelley says and moans of agreement rise up out of Alex and Ali. 

“Wow. Such amateurs.” Ash chuckles out. 

“Yeah, today’s going to be SUPER exciting.” I say, glancing over my shoulder to see Kelley, Ali, and Alex sprawled out on the couch in misery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it was a little shorter then usual, please excuse my sickly self. We're getting there guys. Slowly but surely.


	18. Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait guys. I felt like I was on my deathbed for an entire week. No joke. Anyways I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Some of you might be kind of excited.

It’s the last day of break and we are all sitting on the porch deciding what to do. 

“We could just go tubing again.” Ashlyn suggest. 

“Or we could tan on the deck and go to The Dock tonight.” Pinoe comments. 

“How about we go canoeing up Tickfaw River? It’s calm enough right now so that we can canoe up it without any trouble.” Kling chimes in. 

“Dude! That’s what’s up!” Ash exclaims. 

“Yo I’m down with that.” I say quickly. 

“Same!” Kelley shouts and the rest of the girls agree. 

“Awesome! Lets get the canoe and kayaks!” Kling says popping up out of her chair and rushing around the porch and Ash, Kelley and I are right behind her. 

We walk around to the backside of the house and down the stairs. Behind the house is a somewhat large shed that was packed with all different types of items. I grab one of the several ropes that are tied to a peg on the wall. The kayaks and canoes were suspended by a series of ropes and pulley systems so that they covered the ceiling and were out of the way. Kelley goes to the opposite side of the room and grabs the other rope. We begin to slowly lower one of the canoes from the ceiling to the ground. Once it’s on the ground, Ash and Kling grab it and start to walk it outside. 

“Why did I have to be one of the ones to carry the canoes?” Kling whines as she waddles under the weight of the canoe with her short legs. 

“Because. If your tiny body were in charge of lowering the canoes, you would be at the top of the ceiling hanging onto the rope for dear life.” I joke causing Ash and Kelley to laugh and Kling just sticks her tongue out at me. 

Kelley and I continue to lower canoes, until all three canoes and two kayaks are on the ground. Kling and Ash continue to bring them out to the lake, while Kelley and I load up on paddles. We’re carefully putting them down on the dock when we see the other girls coming down the stairs. They have two small ice chests and a backpack. 

“We thought that while you guys were getting the canoes, we would pack on an ice chest full of beverages and some snacks.” Alex says holding up the backpack. 

“That was a wonderful idea.” I smile to Alex and she smiles back. 

“There had better be no alcohol in there though.” I quickly say and look at Pinoe who holds her hands up in the air. 

“I know you’re rules! No alcohol when we’re operating a boating device on the lake and river.” 

“Good.” I say with a nod of my head. 

“So who’s riding with who?” I ask. 

“Tobin. Do we even have to establish that at this point?” Kelley says with an eye roll. “ It’s Ash and Ali in one canoe, Ann and me in another, you and Alex in the last canoe, and Kling and Pinoe will be in the kayaks. Duh.” She finishes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and the girls all start to head to the canoes. 

“I can’t believe I have to sit in a canoe with you for hours.” I joke sarcastically at Alex and she pops my shoulder. 

“You better watch it or I’ll push you in with my paddle.” She threatens holding up the paddle as if it were a light saber. 

“Ohh I’m so scared.” I chuckle, holding my hands up as if I were terrified.

“That’s what I thought.” She says as she skips by me. 

Soon we have pushed off for sure and are paddling towards Tickfaw River that is a ten-minute ride away. Dig was sitting happily in the canoe with Kelley and Ann. Alex and I are at the back of the pack, with her in the front of the canoe and me in the back so that I can steer it better. It takes the 10 minute trip to Tickfaw River for Alex to finally get in the sync of things. When we come up to it, we have to take a sharp left turn to enter it so that we stay along the tree line, and stay out of the way of motor boats cruising by. 

“Ok Alex. Now paddle hard to your left. Good. Now hold your paddle so we turn left. No! Wait put your paddle in on the right side to make it turn left!” I shout instructions to her so that we don’t go spinning out of control. I see Ash turn around and laugh as she sees me try to instruct a franticly moving Alex. 

“You should have let me teach her Tobin! We all know I’m the better teacher!” She calls out as Ali and her drop back and paddle around them in perfect synchronization. 

“Show off.” I mumble under my breath and Alex giggles. 

We paddle for 2 hours up the Tickfaw River and just enjoy the beautiful scenery the river gives off. I see Alex looking in every direction, soaking it all up. 

“Have you ever been to Louisiana before?” I ask and she simple shakes her head. 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” I ask and she turns around to look at me. 

“Yeah it is.” She says grinning widely at me. 

………….

Several hours later, after drinking through all of the water, eating all the snacks, and all of us are a little sunburned, we find ourselves pulling up to the shore in front of the house. 

“Wow that was fun!” Alex says as she steps shakily onto solid ground. 

“Well I’m glad you enjoyed it.” I say.

“I did! Especially when Dig jumped out of the boat to try and catch the jumping fish, and made Kelley and Ann fall out of their boat.” She laughs out. 

“I was getting hot anyways.” Kelley says with a shrug of her shoulders. 

“How about you guys go in and start getting the hamburgers and hotdogs ready while Pinoe, Kelley, Tobin and I put up the canoes.” Ash says as she starts to pull a canoe further onto shore.

“Aww how come I have to help?” Pinoe complains. 

“Because Kling helped pull them out.” Ash groans out as she and I lift the canoe over our heads and begin making the trek up the hill. 

By the time we have all the canoes and kayaks back in place, sweat is pouring off of us from the combination of the heat inside the shed and our exertion. 

“I really hope they have dinner almost ready.” Kelley says as she wipes away at the sweat on her face. 

“Same I’m starving.” I say while rubbing my belly. 

We walk onto the porch and my mouth starts to salivate at the smell of hamburgers and hotdogs being pulled off the grill. Alex is standing next to Ann in front of the grill and Ann is telling Alex when to take off a piece of meat and put it on the plate. They both turn around and smile when they see us trudging up the stairs. When we reach the top Kelley and Pinoe collapse dramatically into chairs. 

“Damn it’s hot.” I say as Kelley and Pinoe moan out their agreements and I lift my shirt to wipe the sweat off of my face. When I drop my shirt back into place I see Alex staring at my stomach with her jaw slightly open before she shakes her head almost unnoticeably and turns back to the grill. I swallow the lump that had just formed in my throat and my eyes quickly glance over her backside before anyone could notice. 

“Yo I say we just stay here for our last night and have a bonfire on the shoreline.” Ash says as she goes to stand behind Ali, her hand ghosting the small of her back while she peers over her shoulder at the coleslaw and other condiments she had just brought out. 

“I’m down with that. But we need to gather some wood after lunch and set it up.” I say as I make my way over to the table and grab two hamburger buns and begin to build my burger.

“You guys went all out didn’t you??” I ask as my eyes raze over all the different condiments in front of me. There was the classic mayo, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cheese. But they also had brought out jalapeños, fried eggs, bacon, mushrooms, blue cheese crumbles, pickles, avocado slices, and grilled onions. 

“Well we have to eat all of this before we leave tomorrow morning so we thought why not just bring it all out? Plus everyone is starving.” Ali comments with a shrug. 

Soon we are all dished up and the porch goes quiet, as we all are too hungry to do anything else but eat. By the time everyone has had their share there are two hamburger patties left. 

“Anyone else want these??” I ask as I stand and am walking over to the table. 

“Jesus Tobin aren’t you full? Didn’t you just have like 2 hamburgers and 3 hotdogs??” Ann asks in disbelief. 

“Yeahh…. I was kinda hungry.” I chuckle and the rest of the girls laugh. 

“You know it’s a mystery to me how you have such a good body when you eat sooo much.” Alex says to me when I plop down on the bench next to her again. 

“You think I have a good body?” I turn to her with a small smirk on my face and I see her cheeks flush slightly. 

“Oh well you know, I mean, I think anyone who has a six pack would count as having a good body.” She says lightly and is now very focused on her coleslaw. Feeling bold I lean so that only she would hear my next comment. 

“I think you have a great body too.” I whisper in her ear, and I swear I see goose bumps break out on her neck. 

We finish eating, me consuming the last two burgers to the doubts of some of my colleagues, and Alex, Ash, Ali, and I volunteer to gather the wood for the bonfire tonight. We split up, with Ash and Ali going down one path and Alex and I going down the other. The sun was getting close to setting so that plus the coverage of trees cooled the afternoon air considerably. 

“It’s a clear night so the stars and moon should be out.” I observe looking up at the sky as Alex loads wood into my awaiting arms. 

“Oh shit!” Alex exclaims suddenly. 

“What?!?!” I ask and look around our feet thinking that Alex saw a snake. 

“We have to do that project for mythology class.” She states and my head falls back. 

“Fuck I forgot all about that.”

“We’ll just get it done tonight! Woo I’m really glad I remembered that.” Alex says as she continues to put wood on the growing piles in my arms. 

“Yeah that would not be good. I don’t think Dr. Raja would excuse even THE Alex Morgan.” I tease her but it turns into a groan when Alex places a heavy log in my arms and walks away with wry smile on her face. 

By the time we return to camp, the sun is touching the lake, causing it to look like it had turned pink. I dump the wood onto the already large pile that Ash had built right as the other girls come out, armed with marshmallows, crackers, chocolate, and alcohol. 

An hour later, most of the girls are leaning against one drunkenly singing to a Kelley Clarkson song. The only ones that are sober are Alex and I because we have to do our project. I observe the situation before me and closely watch as Ash suddenly leans into Ali, whispers in her ear, and walks away while holding hands with Ali. I smile to myself, hoping that everything goes well for Ashlyn. 

“You want to go do our project now?” Alex abruptly says, breaking me from my thoughts and I look up to see Alex with her backpack slung over one shoulder. 

“Sure let’s get it over with so we can get drunk.” I grin and she lets out a laugh. 

I grab a bottle of whiskey to bring with us and we walk down the dock and soon we can barely hear the girls over the sound of the lakes waves and the wind. 

“So we’re supposed to draw out Orion the Hunter, Taurus the Bull, Perseus, Pegasus, and Andromeda.” Alex reads off her notebook that she alit by her iPhone flashlight. 

“Ok well that’s easy.” I say already knowing where 2 out of the 5 were. “ Orion and Taurus are right there.” I point at a place in the galaxy above us. 

“Yeah I knew were those were, but the others will be a little tricky.” Alex says as she glances up at the stars and then back down at her paper, connecting the stars together to make Orion and Taurus come to life. 

“Um I know that Perseus is right there and Pegasus and Andro-whatever is above them.” I say and start pointing in the direction of the constellation. 

“Where?”

“There.”

“Um I still don’t know where.” Alex says searching the sky with her eyes. 

“Look.” I say stepping behind her and gently grabbing her arm, placing mine over hers, and indicating out towards it. 

“See that bright star? Now follow my finger as I trace the outline.” I say quietly into her ear. As I’m directing her arm, a bright shooting star passes right in front of us. 

“Woh! Did you see that?!” She asks excitedly turning around to look at me.

“Yeah that was really cool.” I say smiling at her and its a moment later I notice how close we are to each other. 

“Tobin.” She whispers to me as she glances at my lips. 

“Yes?” I ask as my stomach begins to knot in anticipation, knowing that we weren’t  
going to be interrupted this time.

I-I… Cou-Would y- uh geeze.” She stutters out and I wait patiently for her to gather her thoughts. She looks up from the dock, her eyes blazing determinedly, and leans in so close our lips would touch if either one of us move. My chest is heaving as it restrains to keep my pounding heart inside my torso due to the proximity of Alex and her intoxicating fragrance. 

“Kiss me.” She says against my lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What shall happen what shall happen??? Just wait and see! OOO This is starting to get exciting now guys!! AHH!!


	19. Hello?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anddddddddddddddd we're getting to the juicy stuff. Also you guys are hilarious and I love the comments lol.

There is no hesitation as I lean forward and press my lips gently but strongly against hers. I feel Alex’s body relax and she leans into me further, deepening the kiss. I sigh escapes my lips as I place my hands on her waist bringing her closer. Alex runs her tongue across my bottom lip just as a strong gust of wind hits us and knocks me slightly off balance. It also brings me back to reality. I step away quickly and turn my back to her, facing the lake, with my eyes closed and my hand over my mouth. 

“Tobin? I-I-I’m sorry. I thought…” Alex whispers and I turn around, dropping my shaking hand from my lips, to see her face completely flushed and tears in her eyes. 

“Alex. You have a boyfriend.” 

“I know.” She says putting her hands up to her face. “It’s just… I feel something I haven’t felt in a long time when I’m with you.” She admits. 

“Alex I think it’s better if we stay just friends.” I say calmly, amazed at how controlled my voice is.

“Why?” She asks with her blue eyes shining in the moonlight. 

“Because.” 

“Because is not a reason.” Alex huffs out, starting to get slightly annoyed with my deflected answers. 

“Because I’m seeing someone.” I so quickly I don’t even realize the lie has left my mouth until it’s too late. I watch as Alex’s face crumples before she masks it quickly.

“Who is it?” She asks quietly. 

“Her name is Erin.” I say racking my brain and deciding to go with the girl I met the other night at the bar. 

“Ok.” Alex says and turns back to pick up the notebook she had set down. I close my eyes and try to control the emotions rocketing through my body at the moment. This is for the best. This is for the best. This is for the best. I chant on repeat in my head as I sit down next to Alex and see she is sketching out the rest of the constellations perfectly. 

“I thought you didn’t know where they were?” I ask confused. 

“I knew where they were.” She sighs quietly and my stomach gets butterflies in them when I realize that Alex had made up a plan to kiss me. I let out a sigh of my own and sit silently next to Alex, watching the waves and thinking how different the situation would be if I weren’t so scared. 

…….

2 days later I find myself sprawled out in the middle of the field, trying to catch my breath in the early morning air. Somebody falls next to me, and I see Ash, her eyes closed as her chest heaves from just running bleachers. 

“I. Hate. Those. Fucking. Steps. With. A. Burning. Passion.” She growls out in between breaths. 

“Same dude.” I say. 

After a few minutes of lying there and catching our breath, I sit up and turn to Ash. 

“So?”

“What?”

“Oh come on don’t make me ask.” I say rolling my eyes. 

“What…?” Ash asks looking at me like I was stupid. 

“You and Ali.” I deadpan and enlightenment crosses Ash’s face. 

“Oh! Um good I guess.” She says rubbing the back of her neck. “I talked to her like you said and she told me she liked me as more then a friend as well.” Ash says sheepishly. 

“Bro! That’s awesome!” I shout smacking her shoulder and she gives a small smile before it turns into a grimace. 

“But she’s not leaving Brent.”

“What why?!”

“She says she’s scared. And that she’s going to break up with him at the right time, but she still wants to see me.”

“What did you say?” I say scrunching my eyebrows together. 

“I said that it’s ok.” Ash says quietly.

“Dammit Ashlyn! Why did you say that?!”

“Because what if I had said no and that scared her off and then I would have no chance at all with her! What would I do then huh? No. It’s better this way. I can convince her to leave him for me. I’m confident of it.” Ash says to me staring off into the distance with a determined look on her face. 

“Well aren’t we two bumps on a log.” I mutter. 

“What do you mean?” Ashlyn asks. 

“I kissed Alex.” I say so quietly I’m not even sure she heard me, that is until she slaps me hard on my back. 

“I knew you would use that Heath charm on her!” She says but I don’t smile, just wrap my arms around my knees and place my chin on them. 

“I told her I was seeing someone.” I say in the same tone of voice. 

“Dude what the fuck?!” Ash shouts at me causing a couple of our teammates to glance our way. 

“What?!” I shout back getting defensive. 

“Why the hell would you do that?!”

“Because it fucking terrifies me Ash.” I say no longer having the will to shout. “It terrifies me that I feel so strongly for her when I know I cant. When I know she has a boyfriend. When I know she will leave here to go back to her fabulous life in LA. Where she’ll forget all about the stupid little band girl from Louisiana who was head over heels for her. I can’t do it again Ash. Kendal broke me once….I just I cant do that shit again.” I say my voice shaking. 

“Jesus Tobin. Do you feel that strongly for her?” Ash asks me and I nod my hand slowly. 

“Well. We really are both fucked.” Ash mutters before scrunching her eyebrows. “She didn’t act any differently yesterday or Sunday.” 

“No she acted the exact same with me. Which is a good thing I guess, but she is an actress.” I say tilting my head to the side. “But I found out her birthday is tomorrow so I’m going home tonight to make cake balls. We were talking about desserts the other day and she had never had them before.” I say smiling slightly as I think about the memory and Ashlyn lets out a puff of air. 

“Dude. You are whipped.” She says as she stands and holds her hand out for me, which I gratefully take. 

“Shut up.” I say and we both chuckle at the hopeless situation we found ourselves in. 

….. 

The next day I wake up and go for a run. Running has always been my way of expressing my emotions. Anytime anything bothers me, I always go for a run. I run until I cant feel my legs any more and I have to put my hands on a tree to steady myself outside of the dorms. I inhale deeply with my hands on my head, trying to catch my breath. Once I have, I walk up the stairs and into my dorm. I didn’t have to worry about being quiet because Ash was my roommate and she had spent the night with Ali. Ashlyn swore to me that they weren’t SLEEPING together, they were just sleeping together. 

I jump into the shower and sing to myself as I wash off all the sweat. I get dressed quickly and grab an apple and my backpack before running out the door and hopping on my bike to make it to class on time. My lectures today seem to drag on for forever, and I cant help my foot as it taps insistently as I watch the seconds slowly tick away on my watch. When my professor finally releases us from class, I’m the first one out of the room and am on my bike, pedaling quickly back to my dorm. I take the stairs, two steps at a time and reach my room out of breath. I burst through the door and Ali and Ash jump apart so quickly you would have thought a gunshot went off.

“I am just getting Alex’s cake balls and then you two can go back to whatever you were doing.” I say with my hands raised in the air as I walk over to our fridge. I grab the plate and then look over at Ash and Ali. Ash has a happy smirk on her face and Ali’s face is as red as a cherry. 

“When I come back I expect the room not to smell like sex.” I say and hurry to run out the door as Ashlyn throws a shoe at me. The last thing I see is Ashlyn laughing at Ali who has her hands over her face in embarrassment. 

I walk down one flight of stairs and around the corner of a hallway until I’m in front of room 310. I take a breath and straighten out the chocolate covered red velvet cake balls. In hot pink icing I had written Happy Birthday Superstar! The icing wasn’t that neat, and you can tell a professional didn’t do it, but I had tried my best and I hoped that Alex would like it. I take another deep breath and knock on the door. 

Expecting to see Kelley or Alex, I’m startled when I see a tall tan man standing in front of me. 

“Hi.” I say perplexed. 

“Hello?” I see him look at me with disdain and then look at the plate in my hand before chuckling. 

“I’m sorry but Alex doesn’t want random people giving her birthday um fatty treats.” He chuckles again as he looks down at the plate in my hands, and I feel the back of my neck flush in embarrassment. He goes to shut the door but I stick my foot in it. 

“I’m not a random person, I’m her friend.” I say to him. 

“I highly doubt it.” He cackles with an eye roll. 

“I’m serious! Who the hell are you?” I ask now starting to get mad at the pompous ass in front of me. “Alex!” I call out trying to look past the guy in front of me as he informs me of who he is. 

“I’m Servando Carrasco. Alex’s boyfriend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!


	20. Happy Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait guys, life got a little hectic. I know that the lyrics take up a lot of space in the chapter but soon those lyrics will be apart of the story because it will let Tobin express how she feels. I made this chapter a little longer because of how long I made you guys wait. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

I stop and stare at the guy in front of me. He’s a pretty handsome guy, tan, looked to be in good shape, and was dressed well. Before I can open my mouth to respond to him, Alex sticks her head around his shoulder and smiles when she sees it’s me.

 

“Tobin! Hey come in!” She says walking back into the room. I raise my eyebrows at Servando and he rolls his eyes as he begrudgingly lets me in. I look at Alex as she is walking around the room and notice that she’s dressed a lot nicer then usual.

 

“Tobin this is my boyfriend Servando. Servando this is my best friend here Tobin.” She introduces us with a wide smile on her face. “Servando surprised me this morning. I totally forgot that he was coming to visit after fall break.” Alex tells me.

 

“Oh well it’s nice to meet you Servando.” I say and don’t shake his hand because I’m scared I’ll drop the plate of cake balls that already occupy my hands.

 

“Same to you Tobin.” He says with a head tilt.

 

“What are those?!?!” Alex asks me suddenly. I see her looking at the cake balls I had made for her and grin widely.

 

“I made these for you. They’re cake balls. I remember you telling me you had never had them before so I thought you know why not make her something she’s never had before because you’ve probably tried-“ I ramble on and Alex stops me by taking the plate out of my hands, shoving it to Servando, and throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me tightly.

 

“Happy birthday Lex.” I whisper into her ear. Alex continues to hold me and I glance up to see Servando with an irritated look on his face. I end the hug quickly and step back to see Alex smiling brightly at me.

 

“Thank you Tobin! I can’t wait to try them after lunch!” She says.

 

“Where do you want to go? It’s my treat since it’s your birthday.” I say excitedly thinking of where we should go to lunch.

 

“Oh. Um actually Servando is taking me to lunch.” She says in a small voice and Servando walks up and places an arm around her waist, making my stomach curl and hands me back the plate of cake balls.

 

“Oh geeze I’m sorry! I wasn’t even thinking.” I say blushing as I realize of course he would be the one taking her out for lunch.

 

“You can come with us though!” She says and grabs my arm as if she were going to drag me there.

 

“Alex we have reservations for only two at Brennan’s.” Servando interrupts and Alex actually looks crestfallen.

 

“It’s ok Alex. I was just going to head to Yo Mamas anyways.” I say scratching the back of my neck and setting the plate down on her desk. “Um I’ll see you at Abby’s tonight.” I say as I begin backing away before I realize something else. “Oh but you guys probably have dinner plans and stuff so forget about it. I mean it’s just a stupid old show anyways. You guys have a good lunch.” I say walking away.

 

“Wait Tobin! No we’re still going to come see your show!” Alex exclaims.

 

“Show?” Servando asks with his eyebrows raised.

 

“Serv Tobin is in a band and they are absolutely amazing. Like they are better then than the bands we see in LA!” Alex says and Servando glances over at me and has a condescending look on his face.

 

“Really? Alex I made dinner reservations at Galatoire’s. for 7.” Servando states.

 

“Cancel them. We’ll go another night. C’mon Serv I really want to go and watch them.” Alex insists and a small smile crosses my face at the fact that Alex wanted to cancel reservations at one of New Orleans top restaurants to see my band play.

 

“Fine. We can go and see their “little show”.” Serv quotes with his fingers with a roll of his eyes and the smile slips off of my face.

 

“I’ll see you tonight then. Happy birthday Lex.” I say softly once more before walking out of the door.

 

When I’m outside, I lean up against the wall, closing my eyes and taking in deep breaths. You did this to yourself Heath. You don’t get to have your feelings hurt when you’re the one who stopped whatever could have happened from happening. I push away from the wall and walk to my room, needing the comfort that my guitar always gave me.

 

…..

 

I’m sitting on a stool at the bar of Abby’s Pub drinking some water and talking to Sydney about the upcoming soccer matches when I see Alex and Servando walk in. I roll my eyes when I see Servando in an outfit that cost more then I make in a month compared to Alex who is in a simple top and jeans.

 

“So that’s the boy toy?” Syd asks from behind me.

 

“Yep.” I say as I wave back to Alex who spots me and starts to walk over, dragging Servando with her.

 

“Well. He seems a bit pretentious.” Syd snorts as she looks over Servando’s outfit.

 

“Just a bit.” I chuckle back when I think of his attitude this morning.

 

“Hey Alex!” Syd says suddenly, signaling that Alex and Servando were behind us and I turn around to greet them.

 

“Hey guys.” I say spinning around.

 

“Hey Tobin!” Alex says happily while Servando is looking around the place with an upturned look on his face.

 

“How was your birthday lunch?”

 

“It was good! Ready to finish off my birthday with a few legal drinks and listening to you guys play.” She smiles at me.

 

“Woh! You mean I’ve been giving you illegal drinks?!” Syd asks from behind me.

 

“Maybe…” Alex says biting her lip.

 

“Damn. I just assumed you were 21 or older. Shit I guess I should really start checking IDs.” Syd says scratching her head and Alex and I laugh at her.

 

“Ok well um drinks are on me tonight-“ I begin to say.

 

“I can pay for our drinks.” Servando interrupts me.

 

“I insist. As a guest here-“

 

“I’ve got it. Thanks.” Servando says in a hard tone. “Your best brandy neat and a cranberry vodka.” He says dismissively to Syd. I clench my hands, annoyed at Servando’s arrogant behavior.

 

“Don’t you have a little show to go play?” Servando drawls out. I look over at Alex, wondering what the hell she saw in this guy, and see she is playing with the end of her shirt.

 

“Yeah. I do. Enjoy the show.” I say curtly and head for the stage, brushing shoulder with Servando.

 

“What a fucking tool.” I mutter under my breath right before I run into someone.

 

“Oh my god I’m so sor-. Oh hey Ali!” I say when I realize that I had run into Ali who was leading Brent to the bar.

 

“Hey Tobin! We just came to see you guys play tonight” Ali says and I can see her looking over my shoulder towards the stage, I’m assuming at Ash. “and was headed towards the bar when we ran into each other.”

 

“Well my apologies on bumping into you. Alex and her boyfriend Servando are at the bar so you can hang with them if you want. I have to get ready. You guys enjoy the show tonight!” I call out as I back away towards the stage.

 

I jump up on to the stage and start fiddling with my guitar when I feel someone come and stand next to me. I look over my shoulder and see Ash staring in the direction of Ali and Brent. I glance over at the bar and see that I am right. I watch as Ali and Alex are having a flamboyant conversation while Brent and Servando seem to be best buds and I observe as they stare at a beautiful girl passing by before fist bumping. I roll my eyes and grimace when I think of Alex with someone like him.

 

“I don’t think words can describe how much I hate Brent.” Ash grumbles.

 

“You haven’t even met Servando yet. He’s worse then Brent.” I say without taking my eyes off the two.

 

“No way. I’ll have to see it to believe it.” Ash says but then immediately smiles and waves when Ali looks her way with a bright smile on her face. Alex looks at me and a tender smile forms on my face when she grins widely.

 

“Ok lets get this show on the road.” I sigh out and turn to the microphone.

 

“Hey everyone! Wolfgang Rythem here to bring you some tunes! Hope you guys enjoy!” I call out into the mike and a few hoots and howls go up from the crowd. I look over my shoulder to make sure everyone is all set up before starting to play.

 

Link to song: [Barefoot Blue Jean Night](https://youtu.be/aRh-vBOS-dU)

 

**A full moon shinin' bright**

**Edge of the water, we were feelin' alright**

**Back down a country road**

**The girls are always hot, and the beer is ice cold**

**Cadillac, horns on the hood**

**My buddy Frankie had his dad hook him up good**

**Girls smile when we roll by**

**They hop in the back, and we cruise to the river side**

**(Whoa-oh)**

**Never gonna grow up (Whoa-oh)**

**Never gonna slow down (Whoa-oh)**

**We were shinin' like lighters in the dark**

**In the middle of a rock show (Whoa-oh)**

**We were doin' it right (Whoa-oh)**

**We were comin' alive (Whoa-oh)**

**Yeah, caught in a southern summer, barefoot, blue jean night**

**Blue eyes and auburn hair**

**Sittin' lookin' pretty by the fire in a lawn chair**

**New to town, and new to me**

**Her ruby red lips was sippin' on sweet tea**

**Shot me in love like a shootin' star**

**So, I grabbed a beer and an old guitar**

**Then we sat around till the break of dawn**

**Howlin' and singin' our favorite song**

**(Whoa-oh)**

**Never gonna grow up (Whoa-oh)**

**Never gonna slow down (Whoa-oh)**

**We were shinin' like lighters in the dark**

**In the middle of a rock show (Whoa-oh)**

**We were doin' it right (Whoa-oh)**

**We were comin' alive (Whoa-oh)**

**Yeah, caught up in a southern summer, barefoot, blue jean night**

**Whoa-oh, never gonna grow up, ha**

**Never gonna slow down**

**We were shinin' like lighters in the dark**

**In the middle of a rock show (Whoa-oh)**

**We were doin' it right (Whoa-oh)**

**We were comin' alive (Whoa-oh)**

**Yeah, caught in a southern summer, barefoot, blue jean night**

**(Whoa-oh)**

**Barefoot, blue jean night (Whoa-oh)**

**Barefoot, blue jean night (Whoa-oh)**

**Barefoot, blue jean night (Whoa-oh)**

**Barefoot, blue jean night (Whoa-oh)**

**Barefoot, blue jean night (Whoa-oh)**

**Barefoot, blue jean night**

 

I smile throughout the song as I sing, remembering all the good times my friends and I have had. The regulars in the crowd clap in the chorus and others join in. I look over to Alex and see her and Ali are swaying to the music while Brent and Servando are facing the bar with their backs to us. Smiling to Alex and Ali, we roll right into the next song.

 

 

Link to Song: [Girls like Girls](https://youtu.be/I0MT8SwNa_U)

**Stealing kisses from your missus, does it make you freak out?**

**Got you fussin', got you worried**

**Scared to let your guard down**

**(Boys)** Kelley and Pinoe chime in as my back up singers.

**(Boys)**

**Tell the neighbors I'm not sorry if I'm breakin' walls down**

**Buildin' your girl's second story**

**Rippin' all your floors out**

**(Boys)**

**Saw your face, heard your name**

**Gotta get with you**

**Girls like girls like boys do - nothin' new**

**(Boys)**

**Isn't this why we came?**

**Gotta get with you**

**Girls like girls like boys do - nothin' new**

**Girls like girls like boys do - nothin' new**

**(Boys)**

**Always gonna steal your thunder, watch me like a dark cloud**

**On the move collecting numbers**

**I'mma take your girl out**

**We will be everything that we'd ever need, oh**

**Don't tell me, tell me what I feel**

**I'm real and I don't feel like boys (Boys, boys, boys)**

**I'm real and I don't feel like boys**

**Saw your face, heard your name**

**Gotta get with you**

**Girls like girls like boys do - nothin' new**

**Isn't this why we came?**

**Gotta get with you**

**Girls like girls like boys do - nothin' new**

**Girls like girls like boys do - nothin' new**

**I've been crossing all the lines, all the lines**

**Kissed your girl**

**That made you cry**

**(Boys)**

**(Girls like girls like...**

**Girls like girls like...**

**Girls like girls like...**

**Girls like girls like...**

**Girls like girls like...)**

**(Boys)**

**Saw your face, heard your name**

**Gotta get with you**

**Girls like girls like boys do - nothin' new**

**Isn't this why we came?**

**Tell me if you feel it, too! Tell me**

**Girls like girls like boys do - nothin' new**

**Girls like girls like boys do - nothin' new**

 

 

We continue playing throughout the night, just jamming out to the music. Everyone in the room seems to be enjoying themselves, and that always puts a smile on all of our faces. I take my snapback off of my head and wipe the sweat and hair out of my face before placing it on my head again.

 

“Ok guys, this is our last song of the night and then Santana is taking over for us.” I say pointing to the band at the corner of the bar. I pick up my acoustic guitar in exchange for my Fender Stratocaster that I had been playing with.

 

 

Link to Song: [Stop this Train](https://youtu.be/9NLZCLKppZs)

 

**No, I'm not color blind**

**I know the world is black and white**

**I try to keep an open mind**

**But I just can't sleep on this, tonight**

**Stop this train**

**I want to get off and go home again**

**I can't take the speed it's moving in**

**I know I can't**

**But, honestly, won't someone stop this train?**

**Don't know how else to say it**

**I don't want to see my parents go**

**One generation's length away**

**From fighting life out on my own**

**Stop this train**

**I want to get off and go home again**

**I can't take the speed it's moving in**

**I know I can't**

**But, honestly, won't someone stop this train?**

 

I concentrate on whistling correctly, closing my eyes to not get distracted by anything. I’m a pretty good whistler in general, so I loved Kling’s idea on incorporating it into a song.

 

**So scared of getting older**

**I'm only good at being young**

**So I play the numbers game**

**To find a way to say that life has just begun**

**Had a talk with my old man**

**Said, "Help me understand"**

**He said, "Turn sixty-eight**

**You'll renegotiate"**

**"Don't stop this train**

**Don't for a minute change the place you're in**

**And don't think I couldn't ever understand**

**I tried my hand**

**Oh, honestly, we'll never stop this train"**

**Once in a while, when it's good**

**It'll feel like it should**

**When you're all still around**

**And you're still safe and sound**

**And you don't miss a thing**

**'Till you cry when you're driving away in the dark**

**Singing, stop this train**

**I want to get off and go home again**

**I can't take the speed it's moving in**

**I know, I can't**

**'Cause now I see I'll never stop this train**.

 

 

I finish out the cord and the crowd gives a loud applause as we bow, before beginning to gather our items so that Santana could set their stuff up. Once we have all of our stuff loaded up into Kling’s van, Santana looks done setting up and is about to play. I walk over to the bar where it is the last location I had seen Alex and Ali at. I see a wavy mess of blonde hair through a crack in the crowd so I know I’m headed in the right direction. When I finally make it to the bar, I see Ashlyn standing next to Ali and Alex with their boyfriends nowhere in sight.

 

“Hey guys.” I say and look over their heads and nod to Sydney who smiles and begins fixing my drink.

 

“Y’all were awesome!” Ali says but is smiling only at Ashlyn.

 

At that moment, Brent and Servando walk up.

 

“Servando weren’t they really good?!” Alex asks excitedly.

 

“I don’t understand why you got so excited over them and had to cancel our dinner reservations at Galatoire’s. They are just a regular old bar band.” Servando says with a shrug of his shoulders. I see Alex face fall but she doesn’t defend us, which honestly kind of hurt my feelings.

 

“I agree.” Brent remarks while glancing between Ali and Ash, as if he senses something is going on between her and Ali.

 

“I do have a question though, in relation to your songs. Are you gay?” Servando bluntly asks. I’m about to respond when Brent beats me to it.

 

“Of course they are Servando. I mean look at the way they dress.” Brent comments while pointing to Ash and my outfit of choice. I clench my jaw as I hold back the statement I want to say.

 

“Yeah.” I respond to Servando, ignoring Brent’s comment all together.

 

“I thought so.” Servando says and now is looking at me up and down with a look of slight repulsion on his face.

 

“Serv. Stop that.” Alex says to him when she sees the look he is giving me.

 

“What? I just don’t want some dyke trying to get with my girl.” He says likes it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

 

“I feel the same way bro.” Brent says slapping Servando on the back.

 

“Servando!” Alex says angrily. She gives me an apologetic look, but the damage is already done. I reach past her and grab the whiskey and ginger Syd had made me, and turn to leave but Alex grabs my arm.

 

“Don’t want to make it seem like I’m stealing you away from your man.” I mutter to her as I look over her head to see Servando smugly smirking. I look back to Alex who has a pleading expression on her face but I remove her hand from my arm and walk away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also if anyone is getting sick of John Mayer songs I apologize. I just can't help it he's so amazing! If anyone can guess what is going to happen in the next chapter I'll post it today! Happy guessing!


	21. Oh Fuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> None of you guessed right, but I thought I should be nice.

I storm away from Alex, needing to get away before my emotions got the better of me. I brush past Kelley who is dancing happily with Ann to the smooth salsa music that Santana is playing, past Kling and Pinoe who are taking shots in the corner of the room surrounded by a crowd, and out the side door into the street. I sit on a stack of crates and lean my head against the brick wall.

 

“Why the fuck is she with that tool?” I mutter to myself as I take a large sip of the drink Syd gave me as I think of Alex and Servando.

 

I don’t know how long I’m outside with my head against the wall, listening to the muffles tunes of Santana. I’m about to go back inside, only because I had finished my drink five minutes ago, when the side door burst open. I see two figures stumbling out, hand in hand. I squint my eyes to see in the dark ally way and recognize it’s Ash and Ali. I watch and raise my eyebrows as Ali pushes Ash up against the wall and basically attacks her face.

 

“So much for being subtle.” I chuckle to myself quietly.

 

I’m moving slowly off of the crates, so as not to disturb them when the side door opens with a bang.

 

“What the fuck!” I hear someone say and realize that it is Brent who is storming to Ash and Ali who had jumped apart too late. Brent shoves Ali away from Ash and begins to punch Ashlyn anywhere he can.

 

“Oh fuck!” I shout and hurry off of the crates to stop it.

 

“I fucking knew it! You piece of shit!” He shouts while punching away at Ashlyn. As I’m running over, I see Ali try and pull him away but he pushes her to the ground where she hits her head and doesn’t move. Ashlyn tries to get in a punch but he over powers her easily, and all she can do is try to protect herself as much as possible.

 

I run in from the side and punch Brent on the side of his mouth, knocking him away from Ashlyn who is leaning against the wall, her nose bleeding profusely. While Brent is still a bit dazed, I go in for another punch but someone grabs my arm from behind. I am spent around and slammed into the wall. I look up and see that it’s Servando holding me up against the wall. He looks at me before looking over to Brent and giving him a nod as if to say I’ve got your back. Brent stands up straight nodding his thanks to Servando and spitting blood onto the ground from the split lip I gave him.

 

He hauls Ashlyn, who had slumped over, up and against the wall as he starts to punch her again.

 

“Stop it! Fucking stop it!” I scream at him but he continues to punch away at Ashlyn. I try and push back against Servando, try to kick him, try to rip away from him but each time I do he shoves me hard against the wall, causing me to see stars. I still struggle against him, and this time he punches my mouth and I taste the blood as it fills my mouth.

 

“Joey! Joey!” I yell hoping that the bouncer will hear me. After a few minutes I realize it’s helpless because no one can hear us in the back ally way through the thick oak door and over the loud music. I glance over and see Ali is stirring back to life.

 

Brent finally stops and wipes the sweat away from his face with his bloody hands as he looks down at the product of his drunken rage. Ashlyn had collapsed against wooden crates and was curled into as tight of a ball that she could manage. Brent straightens his shirt, walks over to me, wipes Ashlyn’s blood onto my white t-shirt and pats Servando on the back.

 

“Thanks man.” He says and Servando finally lets go of me and I rush over to Ashlyn.

 

“Just know the same thing will happen to you if you try that with Alex.” Servando threatens me and I watch as they walk right past Ali, and back into the bar as if nothing happened.

 

“Ashlyn. Ashlyn you’ve got to roll over for me so I can see how bad it is.” I say gently to her. Ashlyn lets out a quiet groan and rolls slowly over. I immediately wince when I see the damage he had done.

 

Both of Ashlyn’s eyebrows had been split and were bleeding profusely, her eyes were already starting to swell shut, on the right side of her face, there was a gash on her cheekbone, her nose looked to be broken, and her lips were swollen and split to pieces. And that was only what I could see.

 

“Ash we nee-“

 

“Ashlyn.”

 

I look over my shoulder and see Ali crawling towards Ashlyn unsteadily. Near her hairline there is a laceration, causing blood to stream down one side of her face.

 

“Fucking hell.” I murmur to myself. “We need to get you both to-“

 

“Oh my god Ashlyn!” Ali exclaims when she gets a clear view of Ashlyn’s injuries. She places her hands on her chest, and her eyes begin to tear up. Ashlyn puts one of her hands on top of Ali’s and grips it weakly.

 

“Ali we need to get her to the hospital.” I say to her with a hand on her shoulder. “I’m going to need your help getting her to the car. Do you think you can do that with your head?”

 

“Yes.” Ali says confidently as she continues to rub her hand on Ashlyn’s chest.

 

“Ok. Let’s get her arms over our shoulders. Ok ready. One. Two. Three. And stand up.” I instruct Ali and we both stand and lift Ashlyn up to her feet as gently as we can. She still lets out a loud groan as her battered body is stretched.

 

We lead her slowly to my car that is parked only a few yards away and tenderly lower her into the back seat. I hurriedly get into the driver seat and Ali climbs into the back seat with her and puts Ashlyn’s head in her lap, stroking her hair lovingly.

 

“I’m so sorry Ashlyn. I’m so so sorry.” She whispers out quietly. I look through the rearview mirror and see tears are streaming down her cheeks.

 

I drive as quickly as I can to the hospital, park the car right in front of it and run inside.

 

“My friend just got jumped I need help!” I shout to the lady at the front desk who immediately calls someone.

 

Not even a minute later, two men in scrubs come jogging down the hall with a stretcher between them. I lead them out to my car and they slowly extract Ashlyn from it. They stabilize her before rolling her back in and through a set of doors we aren’t allowed to go through. Ali and I walk to the front desk and start giving information on Ashlyn. About halfway through it, a nurse comes up to me and inspects Ali and I.

 

“I need to treat you for you’re injuries. Especially you.” She says to Ali, whose head wound is still bleeding.

 

We follow them through a doorway and are split up into two different rooms. A woman who looks to be in her thirties comes in to check me out.

 

“I’m fine really ma’am. I need to get back to the front desk to help my friend.” I say standing off of the bed, but feel myself swaying as pain in the back of my head begins to rear it’s ugly head.

 

“Your lip is split, the back of your head is bleeding, and you look as white as a ghost. You are not fine.” She says calmly as she pushes me back onto the gurney bed.

 

“My head is bleeding?” I ask in surprise as I reach behind me to feel the back of my head. When I withdraw my fingers I see that they are indeed covered in blood.

 

“Yes. Now stop that so I can clean it and see if you need stitches.”

 

For the next 30 minutes or so the nurse cleans my wounds and puts me through several test to make sure I don’t have a concussion.

 

“Good news is that you don’t need stitches and don’t have a concussion. Bad news is for the next few days you are going to have a bad headache. Just take two Advil’s twice a day with food and you should be fine.” The nurse says as she cleans up and rips off her gloves.

 

“Thank you Mrs. Jackie.” I say as I read her nametag.

 

“You’re welcome hon, I hope your friend will be ok.” She says as she leads me out of the room and to the front desk.

 

“I do too.” I sigh out and she leaves me to take care of payment and insurance. Once I am done with that I sit in the waiting room and patiently sit as I wait for news on Ashlyn or for Ali to come back. I pull out my phone and decide to text the girls in our group that Kelly had dubbed True Fam.

 

**Tobin: Hey guys. Ashlyn, Ali, and I are at the hospital. Ash got jumped by Brent when he saw Ali and Ash kissing in the ally way. I tried to stop him but Servando pinned me to the wall. I’m fine just a couple of scrapes, Ali is getting checked for a concussion and Ash is getting taken care of.**

 

I look it over and sigh before sending it out to the group. I’ve barely turned off my phone when a message comes through.

 

**Pinoe: WHAT THE FUCK?!?!**

**Kelley: Are you serious?!**

**Kling: What hospital are you at??**

**Tobin: University Medical Center**

**Kelley: We’ll be there in 10.**

I lean back in the stiff hospital chair and close my eyes as the throbbing in my head increases. I feel someone sit next to me and open my eyes to see Ali sitting next to me with butterfly stitches on the cut near her hairline. She has tears in her eyes and I see that she is messing with a ring on her finger that I recognize is Ashlyn’s.

 

“I’m so stupid.” Ali whispers under her breath.

 

“No you aren’t Ali.” I say to her.

 

“Yes it is. This could have been avoided if I had just been brave enough to dump Brent and officially be with Ashlyn. Now she is laying in a hospital bed with her face and body battered.” She lets out before a sob escapes and I put a hand on her knee as she completely breaks down.

We sit there for a few minutes, Ali quietly crying and me comforting her silently when we hear a commotion down the hall. Looking up, I see Kelley, Kling, Ann, Alex, with Pinoe leading the way.

 

“What the hell happened?” Pinoe demands when she is close to us.

 

I tell the events of what happened less then an hour ago and watch as all the girls face’s change from shock, sadness, and then fury. They start spitting out their hatred for the two men. I glance at Alex and see she is looking at me with tears in her eyes. She grabs my hand and pulls me away from the group. I follow her, too tired from the events of tonight to put up a fight. When we round the corner, and her arms go around my neck pulling me into a tight hug. I hesitate for a moment before relaxing into her embrace.

 

“I’m so sorry.” She whispers into my ear and I nod my head.

 

“I’m going to talk to him. He has to know that he can’t ever hurt you. Or any of the other girls.” She says and I cock my head to the side at this statement.

 

“Wait you aren’t going to break up with him?” I ask and I see Alex hesitating.

 

“You have got to be kidding me.” I say leaning away from her. “He slammed me into the wall and punched me when I tried to help Ash from getting the shit beat out of her. And you aren’t going to break up with him?” I say to her incredulously and she just stands there looking at the ground.

 

“Fuck this.” I say and turn to walk away but she grabs my arm.

 

“Tobin I can’t! You don’t understand!”

 

“You’re right I don’t understand! Why the fuck would you stay with him?! He is the most pretentious fucking asshole I have ever met! And you deserve so much better then that! So what does he have that makes you stay with him huh? Because I honestly don’t understand it.” I heatedly say to Alex.

 

“I have to.” She barely gets out.

 

“What do you mean you have to?” I roll my eyes at her as she makes excuses.

 

“I mean that if I don’t my acting career might be over.” She whispers to me and my eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. She takes a deep breath and looks at the ceiling before looking at me.

 

“When I was auditioning for The Endless Summer, I met Servando and we began to date. Before I starred in The Endless Summer, Servando was the sweetest guy you would ever have met. Since I’ve become famous however, he’s turned into someone I hardly know. But the thing is, is that the world doesn’t see that. They see us as the perfect Hollywood couple that everyone aspires to be. I have a contract with Touchstone Pictures. Serv’s father is the CEO of Touchstone. In my contract, it states that I have to be with Servando as his girlfriend throughout the period of my contract. It’s unusual yes, but I thought nothing of it at the time since Servando was the perfect gentlemen. When he started acting the way he does now I wanted to end it, but I couldn’t because of my contract and I wondered why it had even been in the contract in the first place. Turns out it was just as an advertising piece. They wanted to give off the image of how great it was that the main actress in the summer hit was dating the CEO’s son of the movie studio.” Alex explains to me with teary eyes.

 

“How is that even legal?” I ask in disbelief and she shrugs her shoulders.

“I don’t know. I talked to Tony my manager and I can’t get out of this contract until American Flyer comes out. Until then I’m stuck with Servando.” Alex says as tears begin to slip down her cheeks.

 

“Shit I’m sorry Alex.” I say, feeling like the biggest jerk for my comments earlier.

 

“And then there is you.” She says with a teary chuckle and indicates to me with her hand. “Everything about you is the exact opposite of what I have been surrounded by the last few months before coming here. You who have completely upturned the way I look at love and life. The things I feel around you I mean my god!” She says pacing in a circle and my heart pounds at all the things that she is saying.

 

“Ale-“

 

“Oh I’m not done yet!” She says holding up a finger to me and if the situation weren’t so serious I would have laughed at her attitude.

 

“Never in my life have I wanted something so badly as I wanted my acting career. Do you even know how much it hurt the other night on the dock when you rejected me? I mean for weeks I had been fighting the feelings I have for you and when I finally get the courage to do something you shut me down completely!” Alex exclaims before stopping and staring at me. Suddenly a determined look passes over her face and she stomps over and stands right in my front of me, inches away from my face.

 

“Look me in the eye and say you don’t feel anything for me.” She demands, searching my face for a sign of rejection and all I can do is stare at her longingly.

 

“All of the glances and lingering touches that are unnecessary. Do I even have to elucidate that kiss? And the fact that you have a girlfr-“

 

“I don’t have a girlfriend.” I interrupt quickly.

 

“You don’t?” She blanches and I shake my head.

 

“You lied?” She asks and I nod my head.

 

“Why?” She asks and I stay silent, just looking at her

 

“Tell me you don’t feel something between us.” She lowers her voice. My mouth opens and closes, unable to utter the words I had said to her before. I close my eyes and step away from her, running my hand over my face, unable to think when I was surrounded by her fragrance of roses and honey and her bright piercing blue eyes.

 

“That’s what I thought.” She says quietly as we gaze at each other, five feet apart, our chests both heaving.

 

“What do you want me to do.” I whisper urgently back to her, utterly unsure of how to progress.

 

“Wait for me.” She states simply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I don't know where this shit comes from.


	22. So Let's Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait guys, I have had papers and test all this week. Also your comments are cracking me up I love them. Hope you enjoy!

“Ok.” I say softly, with my stomach feeling as if a pack of wilder beast were stampeding through it. 

“Ok?” She asks.

“Yeah.” I say, a small smile finding my face, walking towards her slowly and she smiles brightly at me. 

“Ale-“

“Tobin. Hey the doctor is looking for you.” Kling interrupts me, her head stuck around the corner and I stop my advance towards Alex. 

“Give me a minute.”

“Ok but there is a police officer here as well soooooo...” She trails off. 

“I’ll be right there.” I say to her and she gives me a thumbs up before walking back to the lobby. I turn my attention back to Alex. 

“We’ll talk about this later.” I say with a gentle smile on my face and she nods her head vigorously grinning widely. I turn to walk away but Alex grabs my arm and I turn to see her looking at me with a nervous expression on her face. 

“Um I need you not to press charges on Servando…” she says quietly.

“Why not?” I ask feeling myself getting riled up.

“Two reasons. One it would look terrible for me if this got out to the press. And two is that he has the best lawyers money can buy so you would probably lose anyway.”

“Alex he can’t just get away with shit like this!” I say angered. 

“Please Tobin!” She begs me and I let out an angry huff before nodding my head.

“Thank you.” She says placing a hand on my arm. 

“If he does anything like this again Alex I swear to god I’m going to the police without hesitation.” I say hardly, looking her in the eyes to let her know I was serious. 

“He won’t.” Alex says with a nod of her head. 

“Well lets take care of this then.” I say and head in the direction of the lobby with Alex following closely behind me. 

When we reach the lobby I see my friends gathered around a police officer and a doctor. We hurry over to see what the doctor has to say about Ashlyn. 

“Hi can you tell us what’s going on with Ashlyn?” I ask the doctor as soon as I’m in front of him. 

“Are you the girl that brought her in?” The policeman next to the doctor asks.

“Yes and I’ll answer all the questions you have later, but right now I want to know how my friend is.” I say turning my attention back to the doctor. 

“We had to give Ashlyn several stiches for the lacerations on her eyebrows and cheek. She also has several bruised ribs so movement for her is going to be very limited for a while. The good news however is that she amazingly doesn’t have a concussion.” The doctor informs us. 

“Can we see her?” Ali chimes in from behind me. 

“Yes. She’s in room 112 down the hall tha-“ He says pointing but all of the girls are already heading down the hall before he can finish his sentence.

“Miss can I have a word with you now?” The police officer asks me and I look down at his name tag and see that his badge reads Holmes. 

“You’re last name is a little ironic isn’t it?” I say with a small smirk on my face, pointing to his badge and he smiles. 

“Yes it is. Now if-“

“Can I see my friend first? I swear it’ll only be 5 minutes.” I interrupt him and he nods his head before taking a seat to wait. 

I hurry down the hall until I am at room 112. I walk into the small room and see that all of the girls are surrounding a drowsy Ashlyn. 

“Hey bud.” I see as I approach her bed. She turns her head and upon seeing me sighs. 

“Did he get you as well?” She asks and I hesitate for a second before I realize that she must have been so out of it that she didn’t even know Servando was there. 

“Yeah just a couple of scratches.” I say feeling the back of my head where the nurse had cleaned the abrasion. 

“But Tobin you said th-“ Kelley begins to say with her eyebrows scrunched together. 

“I think I was in shock at the moment, and my head was pounding so I got things a little mixed up. Servando came out right after Brent stopped punching Ashlyn. I must have gotten Servando’s name mixed up with Brent’s.” I lie easily. 

“What do you remember Ali?” Pinoe turns to Ali who hasn’t let go of Ashlyn’s hand. 

“I remember Brent pushing me away and then I woke up and see Tobin hovering over Ashlyn and that’s it.” Ali says looking at Ashlyn. 

“Ok well I just wanted to check up on you real quick before I talk to the police officer.” I say to Ash, one of my hands on her arm. Now that all of our stories match, I could go and talk to officer Holmes. 

“Send him in here when you’re done.” She says with a hard look on her face.

“Will do Ash.” I say as I head out the door. As I pass by Alex, she watches me with wide begging eyes and I nod my head, right before I leave the room. 

“Officer Holmes.” I say to catch the attention of the policeman. 

“Are you fine with answering a few questions here?” He says standing and taking a notebook out of his pocket. I look around the lobby and see two other people in the room. 

“Yeah.” I say shrugging my shoulders. 

“Can you explain to me exactly what happened?”

“I was outside in the back ally way of Abby’s Pub, getting some fresh air. Ash, um I mean Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger come out the back door and uh start to kiss. I’m leaving when all of a sudden Brent charges out the door. He pulls Ali off of Ash and begins to punch Ashlyn. As soon as I see what he’s doing I run to try and stop him. Ali tries to stop him as well but he pushes her to the ground and she hits her head and passes out.” I recall to him. 

“I manage to get a punch in before he knocked me back. By this time Ashlyn is already banged up pretty good and is only standing with the support of stacked up crates. I go in to stop him again but he expects me this time and punches me on the mouth.” I indicate towards my split lip. “It had a lot of force behind it, and made me fall onto the ground and hit my head pretty hard. I was dazed and couldn’t get up for a few minutes. When I finally could, Servando walked out the door and that’s when Brent stopped. And then he just walked away with Servando.” 

“He just walked away? Servando didn’t stop to see if you were ok?” He asks with his eyebrows knitted together. 

“I think he wanted to get Brent away from Ashlyn. You see Brent had had a couple of drinks and I guess Servando didn’t know if he was an irrational, sporadic, violent drunk and thought it best to get him out of there.” I lie, having to clench my fist as I hold back what I really want to say. 

“Has Brent ever done something like this before?” He asks, still writing away in his notebook. 

“Not that I know of.” I say scratching the back of my neck. 

“Last thing I need to ask you Mrs. Heath. Would you like to press charges?” He asks looking at me seriously. 

“No. I don’t think he realized it was me that had tried to stop him. I think he would have done the same to anyone. And I only have a couple of scratches. I’ve gotten worse injuries playing soccer or skateboarding down my road. Ashlyn on the other hand, Ashlyn I think is definitely going to want to press charges.” I say with an affirmative nod. 

“Alright thank you Mrs. Heath. If you have any other problems, please feel free to call this number.” He says reaching into his pocket and handing me a card. 

“Will do Officer Holmes.” I say tucking it into my back pocket.

He nods his head to me before making his way to Ashlyn’s room. I take in a deep breath and pray that Ash and Ali don’t remember anything about Servando. Dear god I had just lied to a police officer. I don’t have much time to reflect on it however, because all of the girls, minus Ali and Ash, file out of the room. Alex immediately makes eye contact with me and walks over. 

“um did you uh-“ she mutters quietly. 

“I didn’t say anything about Servando except that he walked out the door.” I reply in the same tone and Alex lets out a small sigh. 

“Thank you.” She says in the smallest voice, her hand on my arm. 

“Where is he?” 

“I don’t know. Probably out drinking still.” She says and I can hear the bitterness in her tone. 

“Listen. We need to talk.”

“Ok.”

“I mean. Away from here.” I say looking around the room at all of our friends. 

“Where do you want to go?” She asks. 

“We can go to my dorm. I don’t think Ashlyn is going anywhere tonight.” 

“Ok.” She says and then spins on her heels before I can get out another word. 

“Hey guys, Tobin’s head is really hurting her so I’m gonna take her back to her dorm. Are you guys good?” Alex asks the group. 

“Yeah totally. We’ll stay until the police heads out and Ash is asleep.” Kling responds. 

“Go get some rest Tobs.” Pinoe says rubbing my shoulder. 

“Thanks guys. Tell Ash Alex and I said bye.” I say as Alex begins walking out the door and I follow. 

Throughout the car ride and walk up the stairs, we remain silent, not even a sound passes between us. I unlock my door, turn on the light, and twist around quickly. 

“So let’s talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking you guys might like the next chapter.


	23. I knew it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOH! So much hate on Alex! I did not expect that to happen! This chapter kind of clarifies somewhat why she said those things. Anyways I hope you enjoy!

“I like you. A lot.” Alex says abruptly. 

“I like you a lot too.” I repeat.

“So can we please try this and see where it goes?” She pleads. 

“What about Servando?” I ask. I wasn’t leaving this room until everything was laid out on the table. 

“What about him?” Alex asks with no emotion on her face. 

“You’re in a relationship with him.” 

“That is not a relationship. It’s nothing to me except a contract.” She says, her face turning hard. 

“I don’t understand what you want me to do. Alex when does American Flyer come out?

“May 1st.” She says quietly. 

“So you want me to wait 7 months for you to “break up” with Servando and then you might, MIGHT, still be interested in being with me?” I ask incredulously. “Jesus Alex. What if we get to that point and you meet some super hot Hollywood guy and you realize that I’m a fucking nobody?!” I say and I can feel myself getting riled up, memories of my past relationship flashing through my mind. 

“You aren’t a nobody Tobin! And that wont happen!” She says, putting her hand on my arm. 

“How do you know that?!” I yell, really upset now and rip my arm away from her. “People say things all the time! People promise things all the time! And then they go back on their word!” I croak out, tears beginning to fill my eyes and I wipe at them angrily. 

“How do I know you won’t be like everyone else who has walked out of my life?! I can’t go through that again. I can’t. I’ve already done it more times then someone should have to.” I say gripping the back of my neck. I look up through tears and see Alex watching me with soft eyes before casting my eyes back to the ground. 

“Tobin.” She says gently, walking towards me. “Please don’t let your fear of the past and future stop us from having what we both want. Please don’t shut me out.” She whispers putting a hand on my cheek, making me look up at her. After a few moments, I do and I can see tears are in her eyes as well. 

“For the last year, I’ve felt like I’ve been drowning. My parents died 7 months ago, I’m stuck in a subjugated relationship, and I can’t walk out my door without being swarmed by men with cameras being shoved into my face. Slowly all of it has been dragging me further underwater, until I couldn’t even see the light in life anymore. It got to the point where I was sitting on my bathroom floor staring at bottle of Oxycontin in my hands. That’s why I had to get out of California, to get away from it all.” Alex chokes out, with her head now hanging. 

“And then I came here and met all of you. None of you will ever realize what you have done for me. Especially you Tobin. You were like a lifeline to me, pulling me up from the depths of the water. You went from a stranger to someone I can’t stop thinking about. You look at the world in ways not many people do. I remember you told me once that you don’t think we can see how beautiful life is just by existing, that we need to go out and experience it. I want to see how beautiful life is with you Tobin.” She whispers, tears sliding down her cheeks. 

In that moment, I had never seen raw emotion as strong as the one that was written all over Alex’s face. 

“You actually care for me don’t you?” I ask as a light bulb finally illuminates in my head. 

“Yes! What else have I been trying to tell you all night?!” Alex exasperates. 

“Not to report your homophobic gay bashing boyfriend.” I say instantly, but then close my eyes not even a second later in regret. “Alex I’m sorry I sh-“

“No Tobin it’s ok I understand. He’s a piece of shit. I only told you not to report him because I knew you would lose against him, it would be swept under the rug by lawyers, and would do nothing but make you bankrupt. Because that’s what he does.” She says with a look of disgust on her face. 

“And I’m so unbelievably sorry for what he did to you.” Alex says, softly caressing my face with her smooth hands. “He will never do this to you again Tobin.” She declares, leaning her head against mine and I wrap my arms around her waist, bringing her closer to me. 

“How do we go about this?” I mutter.

“If you want to be with me, which I really hope you do, it has to be a secret. The public eye cannot see us as anything other then friends. I hate doing this to you, but I have no other choice or my career will be completely ruined. And I-I can’t stop it. The last thing I said to my parents wa-was that I promised I would become a world class actress and make them proud.” Alex tearfully admits, and wipes her eyes quickly. 

“And if I didn’t agree with these terms?” I say expressionless and watch as Alex’s entire face falls before stepping away from, biting her lip, and looking at the ground. 

“Then we will remain just friends and I wont bother you about this again.” She gets out as she swallows what I am assuming is a lump in her throat. 

“And If I were to accept?” I once again say expressionlessly. At this, Alex raises her head slowly, and looks me dead in the eyes. 

“Then I’m yours.” 

“Well. I guess I better up my spy skills. I’m just warning you now, I’m not very good at being sneaky, bu- OOF!” I let out as Alex tackles me into a hug, causing both of us to fall onto the futon that was under my bed. Thank goodness my bed was lifted on high pegs, because if not, the knot on the back of my head would hate itself more then it already did. 

I laugh in pure joy as Alex snuggles her face into the crook of my neck giggling. She props her self up, her face alight with delight and looks over my face quickly before leaning in and pressing her lips to mine. 

I moan into her mouth at the feel and taste of her lips on mine again. For the last few days I hadn’t been able to get the kiss between Alex and I on the dock out of my head. I bring my hands around Alex’s back and place my hands on her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. I run my tongue along the bottom of her lip, asking for entrance, which she grants me immediately. Our tongues tangle with each other, and I establish dominance quickly. Alex breaks apart for a fraction of a second before diving back in again. She lightly nips my bottom lip and in any other situation I would have gasped in pleasure. However, this time my gasp is in pain as her teeth scrape across the area where my split lip is located. Alex instantly pulls back alarmed as she realized what she just did. 

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry Tobin!” She exclaims looking over my face as if a tiger just mauled me. 

“It’s fine Lex.” I chuckle out at her concern. 

“You’re bleeding!” She points to my lip. My tongue runs over my split lip and taste blood. 

“Oh would you look at that.” I say as I lift my finger up to touch it and it comes away red. 

“I’m so so-“

“Alex it’s fine! Seriously! This is just a small scrape.” I say as I look up at Alex who still has worry written on her face.

“Are you sure that you are ok?” Alex says, placing both hands on my face to inspect me for any other wounds. 

“Ye-“ I begin to say but stop when the door burst open and Kelley walks in. 

All three of us freeze and Kelley’s jaw is dropped at the sight of Alex on top of me while I’m lying on the couch. 

“oh my god…” Kelley says, her mouth still open. 

“Kell-“ Alex starts to say as she climbs quickly off of me. 

“I KNEW IT!!” She screams jumping up and down, pointing at us. 

“What?” Alex asks, her eyebrows raised. 

“I FUCKING KNEW IT!! This whole time!! You would get so excited when I told you that we were hanging out with Tobin or that we were playing! I fucking knew it! And you Tobin! That’s why you got so mad when I would tease you about how hot Alex looked!” Kelley shouts, her eyes wide with excitement. 

 

“Kelley calm down.” I sigh, rubbing my forehead. 

“OHHH no! I do not get to calm down about this! My best friend is shagging 

“We are not shagging!” I interrupt quickly. 

“my roommate who happens to be a major Hollywood Star!” She continues not even regarding my comment. “No no no. I am not leaving this room until you tell me EVERYTHING.” She says, plopping herself down on the futon next to Alex who had not moved since Kelley came in. 

 

I roll my eyes and lean back knowing that this was going to take forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are we thinking? Do you guys still hate Alex?


	24. Explanation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So people have been saying my chapters have been kind of short. I didn't think they were since I make sure that I always have a minimum of 1.5k words for each chapter. Buttttt to please everyone I made this chapter 2.5k! Also! I have now joined Tumblr and you can follow me under the username wolfgangrythem. I made it simply so that you guys who are on Tumblr, can be informed of when I writing a new chapter/uploading a new chapter. I hope you guys enjoy!

It took us over an hour to explain to Kelley everything she wanted to know. And by us, I mean Alex. I mostly sat quietly next to her, watching Kelley’s face change from shock, sadness, bewilderment, and then happiness. 

“Oh my god! I don’t think you understand how happy this makes me!” Kelley says with tears in her eyes. 

“I didn’t think little old Toby here would get out of her phase of wooing women for one!” Kelley points at me.

“Hey. I can’t help it that I’m smoother then cream cheese.” I say with a shrug of my shoulders and a smirk across my face. 

“You are such a dork it’s unreal.” Alex says with a roll of her eyes. 

“Agreed.” Kelley chimes in. 

“Oh please! You guys love me for my dorkiness! It’s part of the Heath charm!” I say with a wide grin across my face as I look at Alex. She smiles at me before shoving me backwards on the futon. 

“So let me get this straight. I mean there is nothing really straight about it “ Kelley snorts out before continuing. “ No one else can find out about you two?”

“Yes.” Alex and I respond at the same time. 

“And if they do, then your career is over with Alex?” She asks and Alex nods her head seriously. 

“Gosh.” Kelley says scratching the back of her head. “I reallyyyy suck at keeping secrets.” At this, Alex’s eyes go wide and a horrified expression crosses her face. 

“But!” Kelley says when she sees Alex’s concerned face. “I will make an exception for you two! I will take this to my grave, IF, and only if, I get to tease you as much as I want when it’s just the three of us.” 

“NO!” I say immediately and sit up from my layed back position on the futon. 

“Tobin we don’t have a choice.” Alex says softly to me. I look over her shoulder to see Kelley giggling at me with an evil glint in her eye. 

“We accept your proposal.” Alex says and Kelley whoops in joy while I groan at the endless teasing that is about to occur. 

“You don’t even know what you’ve gotten us into.” I say to Alex as I lay back down on the futon, closing my eyes. 

“So. Gotten any nookie Alex??” Kelley asks calmly. 

It takes another hour for me to finally be able to shoo Kelley out of the door. I throw her clothes for Ashlyn, which is the reason she came in the first place, and slam the door shut and locking it. I turn back around to Alex whose cheeks are still flushed from Kelley’s insistent teasing. 

“It’s only going to get worse the longer this goes on. She’s like road kill. She’s going to swell and swell and swell until she can’t take it anymore and then just explode. Except instead of like guts it’ll be hyperness and excitement.” I say with a nod of my head as I walk towards her. 

“Ew that’s so gross Tobin!” Alex says scrunching her nose in disgust. 

“Sorry my analogies are gross.” I say with a smirk once I am in front of her. 

“So.” I whisper, still smirking down at Alex.

“So?” 

“Can I call you mine?” I ask more confidently then I really feel. Alex breaks out into a jubilant grin and pulls on my shirt until I have to put two hands on the futon on either side of Alex’s head to steady myself. 

“Yes.” She softly says against my lips before leaning in and connecting her lips fully with mine. I move one hand from the futon and cup her face gently so that I could deepen the kiss. When the moment is right, I slip my tongue into Alex’s mouth and feel her gasp in surprise. As I curl my tongue against the roof of her mouth, the taste of her overcomes my senses and I find my self whirling Alex around so that I am now the one sitting on the futon and she is straddling me. I lick my lips as I run my hands up her perfect tan legs before leaning and nipping at her neck, causing Alex to gasp again and goose bumps break out onto her skin. She wraps her arms around my shoulders, bringing me closer as I suck gently on her neck, but making sure I didn’t leave a hickey. I work my way up her neck, which she has extended so that I could get better access, until I am at her ear. I gently nibble her earlobe as my hands travel down her lower back and Alex sighs, pulling me in even tighter.  


Desire overwhelms me as I can feel every inch of Alex that is fused to me. And I have to close my eyes and take in a deep breath, which doesn’t help much due to Alex’s intoxicating scent, and remind myself to take it slow. I haven’t had sex in two months and my body was demanding that I give it what it wanted so badly, and I almost, almost forget about morals and give in to my sexual needs when Alex sighs my name into my ear softly. Instead, I pull back, slowly so that I didn’t hurt her feelings, and look at Alex with what I am sure are my dark aroused eyes. 

“Uh we should uh maybe slow down.” I tentatively say even though my body is protesting that I should take Alex right now. 

“Maybe that’s best.” She says looking at me out of breath. 

“I just don’t want to rush into this and mess it up.” I say truthfully and she nods. 

“I mean like I really really want to continue what we were just doing, but honestly I don’t think I could control myself.” I chuckle out the truth and watch as Alex’s face turns red. 

“Stoppppp.” 

“What? It’s a compliment. I was just stating that I find you so very attractive that I can’t control myself after only kissing you for a few minutes. I mean I don’t know about you, but it was fantastic for me, so if that’s what kissing is like I can’t imagine what sex would be like with you.” I say and Alex turns an even darker shade of red then before. 

“What?” I ask. I had never been one to be embarrassed about talking about sex with the girl I am with. Being teased by my friends about my sex life however, I just want to go crawl into a hole and die. Alex just shakes her head at my question and looks extremely bashful. 

“Hey what’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.” She says playing with the ends of her hair. 

“You’re a terrible liar. How on earth did you get a job in acting?” I joke and she looks at me in mock outrage.

“I am not a terrible liar!” 

“Yes you are. Now tell me what’s wrong. Did I say something?” I ask. 

“No. It’s just. I haven’t- I’ve never- you know what never mind.” She says all flustered and tries to get off of my lap but I restrain her with my arms. 

“Alex.” I plead with her. 

“Iveneverhadsexwithagirlbefore.” She says so quickly and so quietly that I shake my head because I have no idea what she just said. 

“What?”

“I’ve never had sex with a girl before.” She says quietly again as she plays nervously with her hands. 

“So?” I ask confused. I’ve had sex with plenty of girls who had never been with a girl before. Granted I was never looking for an actual relationship, just some fun. 

“So anything like that with me would probably be terrible and you would hate it. Plus Servando told me I wasn’t very good.” She says continuing to look down at her hands. I bristle up at the thought of Alex sleeping with a guy like Servando, but squash it down when I realize she’s not “with” him anymore and probably hasn’t had sex with him in the last few months. I place my hands over her fiddling ones and wait until she looks at.

“Alex. Trust me when I tell you there is no possible way I wouldn’t enjoy it.” I tell her seriously as she stares into my eyes deeply. “Unless you have some sort of fetish where you like people to pee on you, then we have a problem.” I joke and smile when my goal at getting Alex to laugh is achieved. 

“I don’t care that you’ve never been with a woman before. I don’t care what any of your past lovers say. I care about you.” I say putting my hands on her face. “And if you feel the same way about me, then that’s all that should matter.” I say simply and Alex nods her head and I see tears are in her eyes. 

“What did I do to deserve you?” She whispers softly as she traces the outlines of my face. 

“Oh Alex, I think it’s the other way around.” I say as I take in her face and can’t believe how lucky I am to be able to call her mine. 

“I guess we’re going to have to agree to disagree.” She says with a watery chuckle and I nod my head with a small smile on my face. 

“Yeah. Ok so no more tears.” I say to her as I wipe away the traces of one that had slipped out. I’m leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose when my stomach rumbles loudly. I pull back and restrain my smile as my stomach reminds me that it hasn’t eaten in a long time. 

“Someone’s hungry.” Alex chuckles and I nod. 

“Well what’s open atttt “ she grabs my wrist and looks at my watch “2:47?! It’s 2:47?!” She exclaims. 

“Well to answer your question I know a place just down the road. And no it’s not 2:47. It’s 2:48.” I manage to get out before Alex playfully hits me. 

“You’re such a little shit.” She says climbing off of me. 

“Yeah but that’s why you like me.” I pop up off of the couch with a shit-eating grin. 

“Shut up.” She says but is smiling. 

I’m about to walk out the door but Alex stops me suddenly. 

“What?” I ask and she motions at my shirt. My stomach drops when I see Ashlyn’s blood smeared on it from Brent and from carrying her in. I had completely forgotten about it until now. 

“Yeah I should change that I guess.” I say rhetorically and quickly strip it off of me and throw it into my dirty clothes hamper. I go to my drawer and pick out a shirt without really looking at it. As I turn around Alex laughs at me.

“What??” I say and look down at my shirt to which I assume she is laughing at. Across the top is the word BEER, below it is a hybrid mix between a bear and a deer. 

“Oh you can make fun of this all you want it’s Klings.” I say with a laugh. 

“How does that fit you then?” She asks me as we walk out of my room. 

“She got a small in women’s but it turned out to be a small in men’s. It looked like a dress on Kling and I thought it was funny so I took it.” I say with a shrug of my shoulders. 

“Mhm. So where are we going?” She asks once we are in my car. 

“It’s a little diner called Louis. It’s open 24/7 and has been here for like 90 years now.” I inform her as I start driving. 

“Oh wow sounds like a cool place.” 

“Yeah it is. I usually go every Sunday. The cook, whose name is ironically Louis, has been then for years and is a pretty chill dude.” I say as I pull into the small neon illuminated parking lot. 

We walk in and are the only ones except a small group of what looks like drunk college kids chowing down on some bacon and waffles. We take a seat at the counter top, just like I always did, and am greeted by an older man immediately. 

“Tobin! How are you?” 

“Good Louis! Me and my friend are just looking for a little midnight snack.” I say tilting my head to Alex. 

“I can do that for you. Tobin I know what you want, but what would your friend like?” He asks and I turn to Alex with my eyebrows raised. She seems confused about the lack of order in the diner, but recovers quickly. 

“Just pancakes and bacon. Oh and milk.” She says. 

“I’ll have a milk too. Oh and Louis can you animagi those pancakes??” I ask and Louis smiles widely. 

“You got it boss.” He says tipping his spatula towards me.

“Anim-what?? Tobin I don’t want to eat anything weird this late at night.” Alex complains to me. 

“Trust me Lex. You’re going to love this.” 

We only have to wait 15 minutes, which we spend the whole time talking, before Louis serves us our food. My order has always been the same. Two fried eggs sunny side up, 2 pieces of bacon, toast, a cup of strawberries, and a waffle. I look over at Alex and beam when I see the childish joy on her face when she sees her plate. Louis had made Alex’s pancakes in the shapes of an elephant, monkey, lion, and giraffe. 

“You see Louis and I here are huge Harry Potter dorks and used to talk about it for hours into the night. When I found out he can make pancakes into the shape of animals, I thought it would be funny to throw some Harry Potter into our common language.” I explain to Alex as Louis chuckles at me before going over to check if the drunken kids were doing ok. 

“This is so cool!” Alex says after getting over being shocked at Louis’ skills. She pulls out her phone and takes a picture of it. 

She uploads it to Instagram with the caption reading: Louisiana is set on proving me that it is one of the coolest states out there. Who knew pancakes could be so cute?  
She tags me in it and I watch in amazement at how her phone blows up in a matter of seconds. 

“Holy shit. Is it always like that?” I ask in amazement as I watch all of the people who like her photo at 3am. Its 3am people!

“Yeah. I’ve gotten pretty good at ignoring it.” She says like its no big deal. 

“Well. I’m glad you find Louisiana a pretty cool place.” I say grinning at her as she childishly cuts up her pancakes. 

“I was just lucky enough to find the coolest person in it.” She states with a smile as she takes a bite of the lion’s head, and I feel a small blush rise up my neck and I bashfully turn to my plate a food holding back the enormous grin that is threating to break through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still a slow burner. I know most of you must be getting impatient, but trust me on this one guys. I'm not rushing through it just to please the crowd, this one is going to be so much longer then A Place to Call Home. I would give you a brief run down of all the adventures that will be occurring but then that just ruins the fun and excitement for you guys! I will however tell you, if you are losing interest in the story, that Mrs. Ruby Rose, aka the goddess of all lesbian's dreams, will be joining the adventure soon!!! Ah! So many feels about this story! I can't wait for you guys to read it!!!!


	25. Dudeeee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait guys. The people who follow me on tumblr already know that I haven't written the past week because my best friends twin brother died from a seizure. I apologize for the wait and I'm going to go ahead and apologize for the future. Finals are coming up so I won't have much time to write. I might be able to get one or two chapters in next week but thats a big maybe. Anyways I hope you guys enjoy!

The next morning I find myself walking into the hospital with 3 coffees in one hand and some breakfast in the other. As I am walking to Ash’s room, I can’t help but smirk as I think of last night. After eating at Louis’ we walked around Audubon Park, not caring that it was 3:30 in the morning. By the time we got back to the dorms, the skyline was starting to lighten, signaling that we had stayed out until down. I brought Alex to her door and kissed her goodbye, quickly though so that no early risers, if there were any, would see. 

I run my tongue over my bottom lip, not believing that I had kissed Alex Morgan not even an hour ago. I had bags under my eyes from being up for over 24 hours, the back of my head hurt, but nothing can wipe away the smile on my face. 

I get to Ash’s door and peak my head in, and my smile grows wider at the sight before me. Ali is sitting on the edge of the bed, running her hands over Ashlyn’s face while Ash has her eyes closed with a look of utter content on her face.

“Ahem.” I clear my throat to get their attention and they both look up to me. 

“Hey Tobin.” Ali smiles at me. 

“Yo Tobs!” 

“How ya feelin buddy?” I say as I set down the coffee on the table and give Ash a fist bump. 

“A little sore. Doc says its not going to ruin the money maker though.” She says motioning to her face.

“Shut up.” I chuckle out. 

“Woh Dude did you get McD’s?!?!” 

“Maybee.”

“I would kiss you but we’ve already done that once and that would be weird to do it a second time.” Ash says as she takes a sip of her coffee.

“Woh woh woh. Rewind! You’ve kissed Tobin?!” Ali exclaims while Ash and I chuckle. 

“Yeah this guy our freshman year said he would give us his full 2 liter bottle of SKY if we did, so we did it.” Ash says with a shrug of her shoulders. 

“We immediately took a shot afterwards and declared that we were never doing that again.” I say, thinking back to what I remember of that night which wasn’t that much. 

“And Kelley almost shit her pants because she was coming back from the bar and didn’t hear about the bet so she just saw us kissing.” Ash chuckles.

“Oh my god yes! She thought we were actually into each other! Her face was priceless!” I laugh out. 

“How come I never heard about this?” Ali asks. 

“It was the first week of freshman year so we didn’t know each other.” Ash informs. 

“That not the case now.” Ali says as she leans closer to Ashlyn.

“Thankfully.” Ashlyn whispers and pulls her in for a kiss. 

Thinking it was going to be a quick kiss, I decided not to tease or say anything but boy was I mistaken. The kiss turned heated so fast I didn’t have time to react before Ali was moaning into Ash’s mouth. 

“Oh my god guys! I’m right here! You know what, no McDonalds for you pigs.” I say as I walk towards the door. 

“Wait no!” Ashlyn yells, breaking off the kiss. “C’mon Tobs. You wouldn’t let your friend who just got beat up while you stood by and watched starve would ya?

“Hey I tried my best to fucking get to you! But Se-uh Brent kept pushing me back.” I defend myself, and mentally pat myself on the back for keeping the same story line up. 

“Hey I was just kidding Tobin. I know you would have kicked his ass if you could have, Thank you for being there.” Ash says sincerely. 

“Always.” I say, resting my hand on her head. 

“Ok back to the serious matter at hand. What did you get from McD’s??” Ash asks as she tries to peer into the bag. 

“Have fun feeding her.” I joke to Ali who giggles. 

“I know. You would think she’s the soccer player with her appetite.”

“Hey I’m a growing girl!” Ash protest as Ali pats her on the head. 

“ Ash. You stopped growing freshman year of high school.” I call out as I search through the bag for Ashlyn’s items. 

“Alright here ya go. One bacon egg and cheese biscuit, one chicken biscuit, and hot cakes.” I pass the food to Ashlyn who is basically vibrating with excitement. 

“Yo Tobs you are the best.” Ash exclaims as she rips into her chicken biscuit. I chuckle as I pass Ali her sausage egg and cheese McGriddle and her yogurt. 

“Thank you Tobin.” Ali says gratefully. 

“It’s seriously no problem. I know you probably haven’t left Ash’s side.” I speculate and know I’m right when I see Ali blush. 

I’m about to ask Ash what the police officer said but stop when I feel my phone vibrate. I smile when I see that Alex had texted me asking if I would go the movies with her tonight. 

“Why are you smiling at your phone?” Ash asks confused but then her eyes blow wide. “DUDE. Did you finally make a move on Alex?!?!”

“Ashlyn!” I shout as my eyes glance over to Ali who puts her hands up in the air. 

“I told her about your predicament. Sorry. She asked and I couldn’t lie to her.”

“Tobin I swear I wont tell anyone.” Ali says sincerely and I give them both my best impersonation of a death glare.

“So did you make a move or not?” Ashlyn asks, totally unfazed by my glaring skills. I sigh and stare at her until I feel the right side of my mouth curl into a smirk. 

“You did! You fucking did!” Ash exclaims and I smile fully. 

“Aw that’s so sweet! I’m so happy for you Tobin. Are you officially together?” Ali asks sweetly. 

“Yeah we are.” I say and Ashlyn fist pumps the air with her bacon egg and cheese biscuit in her grasps, making crumbs fly everywhere. 

“But no one can know about it. At least not the public eye. It’s a complicated story but like seriously. No one other then us can know. The only other person who knows is Kelley and then the two others we’ll tell is Kling and Pinoe. 

“But Tobin, this sounds just like when you were with Kend-“ Ash begins to say but I cut her off. 

“This is totally different Ash.” I say defending Alex. 

“But it legit sou-“

“It’s different.” I state strongly and Ashlyn sighs. She’s quiet before looking at Ali who nods her head. 

“I’m going to call Pinoe to see if she can bring me home to shower and change. “ Ali says and kisses Ash goodbye and pats me on the shoulder as she walks out. Ash’s eyes follow her out of the room and then snap back to me. 

“Look Tobi-“

“I don’t need the lecture Ash.” I say tiredly. 

“I’m just saying that I was the one that found you right after it happened. I’m the one who had to physically pick you up and carry you back to the car because you were so broken that you couldn’t even stand. Jesus Tobin I had to drag you away from her doorstep because you swore that she didn’t mean it, that it was all a mistake. Its been what? 2 ½ years since you found out. I mean you wont even take a girl out on a second date for Christ’s sake because you’re too scared that you will actually get feelings for someone else.” Ash rattles off and I stand walking to look out the window. 

“Does Alex even know about Kendal?”

“No.”

“Well… are you going to tell her?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Tobin you can’t not tell her. She was a huge part of your past an-“

“Yes my past.” I say as I turn around and look at Ashlyn. “She doesn’t affect me anymore.”

“So if Kendal walked in through that door. Right now. You would be unaffected?” She challengingly asks me.

I’m about to respond automatically but then I actually picture her walking through the door. With her long tan legs that seemed to go on for miles, hair filled with highlights that any girl would kill for, and bright green eyes that always glowed. My heart drops to my stomach at the mental image of her breezing into the room with the casual elegance that she always walked with. I try to articulate words to defend myself from Ashlyn’s question, but I can’t because my tongue is stuck in my throat. 

“I thought so.” Ashlyn says with a hard look on her face. “You need to talk to Alex about her Tobs. I’m serious.” 

“She’s so different from her though! Alex is-she’s- she-.” I ramble off rubbing the back of my neck as I look out the window. “Alex is the first girl that has made me feel like this in years.” I whisper out. “I haven’t felt this giddy happiness in I don’t know how long. And her smile makes my day and I can’t help but smile when she laughs. She makes me feel more alive. Happier. Brighter. Like there is a purpose to everything. She just makes me feel more you know?” I turn back to Ashlyn who sits there quietly. 

“I’m probably making no sense right now.” I sigh out as I rub my face and push back my loose baby hairs. “But that’s just how I feel.”

I look up and see Ashlyn smirking at me. 

“Dude.”

“What?”

“Dudeeeeee.” She says smiling at me joyfully. 

“What?! Why are you smiling at me like that?!” I say frowning at her. 

“Because you are totally in love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions hit me up on my tumblr wolfgangrythem!


	26. How Do I Know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so this chapter is over 3k words! I thought I would be nice and get this out to you guys in one chapter instead of two because you guys are the FREAKING BEST because you put up with my irregular updating and always give me feedback, which I really love even though I don't ever comment back. I hope you guys enjoy!

I’m walking back into the dorm, still dazed from Ashlyn’s comment earlier. In love? No. I can’t be in love right? I mean I’ve only known Alex for like 3 months. Love can’t happen that fast can it?

 

I’m so caught up in my own thoughts that I run straight into someone.

 

“Oof. Oh man I’m sor-“ I begin to apologize but stop when I see Servando standing in front of me, looking down at me with that stupid aloof look on his face.

 

“What are you doing here?” I basically growl out.

 

“How’s the lip faggot?” He asks with a smirk on his lips.

 

“Fuck off.” I mumble angrily as I push past him. Except he didn’t walk away like I was hoping, but followed close behind me.

 

“Where are you going?” He asks as he sees me walking in the direction he just came from.

 

I clench my jaw and ignore him completely as I continue to walk to Alex’s room. I’m about to knock when he suddenly grabs my wrist and pulls me back.

 

“You listen to me. If I so much as get an inkling of you trying to convert my girlfriend to go gay for you, you’ll regret it.” He states, his eyes boring into mine.

 

“Hey pal. Why don’t you get the fuck off of me.” I snarl at him as I pull my wrist out of his grasp. “If you are so insecure about some dyke like me getting with the your girl, then you must be really fucking lousy in bed.” I spit out.

 

“You little piece of shit. Who the fuck do you think you are?!” Servando demands angrily.

 

“I’m someone who doesn’t give a fuck who you or your daddy are you little prick.” I say stepping closer to him. His eyes are full of anger and he grabs my shirt in one hand and starts to raise his other arm.

 

“Do it. I’d like to see you protest against video evidence.” I say tilting my head to the video camera that I know is only a few feet down the hall. I see his eyes flick towards it and hesitation cross his face. “So fucking do it. Man up. Because that’s what being a man is all about right? Beating up women.” I sneer at him and his nostrils flare in anger as his mouth opens.

 

“What’s going on?” A voice suddenly interrupts our stare off. We both turn and see Alex looking at us with wide eyes. I know the situation must look bad. I’m standing so close to Servando, less then a foot separated us, Servando still has his arm slightly raised with his hand clenched into a fist with his other grasping my shirt, and both of our facial features are display our hate for each other.

 

“Nothing sugar lips. We were just talking.” Servando says as he backs away from me and walks toward Alex. Sugar lips? Fuck he is such a prick.

 

“Ok well um Servando isn’t your flight in like 90 minutes? You’re going to miss your flight to St. Lucia if you don’t leave soon.” Alex says to him.

 

“I know. I just wanted to give you a kiss one more time. We won’t be seeing each other for a long time since I’ll be in the Caribbean for 6 weeks.” Servando says.

 

He leans in for a kiss and Alex’s eyes quickly peek over to mine and I’m sure she sees the look of hate for Servando on my face before I bite my lip and glance away. Servando decides to make it more then a peck and grabs Alex’s ass, pulling her into him. He attacks her mouth in a display of dominance and even goes as far as rocking into her. I turn my head completely and look down the hallway as I wait for him to stop. When the sound of kissing stops, I look back to the two of them and see Servando looking down at Alex with a cocky expression on his face.

 

“Damn I wish we had time to finish what we started earlier.” Servando says and Alex’s eyes go wide and she blushes hard as my stomach drops.

 

“Servando!”

 

“What? We’re a man and a woman who are a couple. Everyone knows that we have sex.” Servando smirks and I begin to feel sick.

 

“Servando this is not a conversation I want to have in a hallway.” Alex says. I can’t see her facial expression because at the moment because I’m looking down at my scuffed up old converse.

 

“Fineeeeeee. We’ll just have to make it up when I get back. Ok well I guess I better get going. See you later babes.” He says and I look up to see him peck a stationary Alex. He starts to walk away from her but makes eye contact with me and leans close into me.

 

“When I get back. You better watch your back dyke.” He murmurs into my ear before bumping my shoulder and walking off. I stare at his retreating figure until it goes around the corner and then I turn my attention back to Alex.

 

“Lets go inside.” She says to me quietly before retreating back into her room. I almost don’t follow her in, but I eventually cave and do just that.

 

“What are we doing Alex?” I ask as soon as the door is closed.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“What do I mean?! Jesus Alex. Servando just said he wished he had time to finish what you guys started earlier. What. Do you go from walking around all night with me in Audubon Park talking and then fuck him when I drop you off? Because if that’s the case, you can go with him to the Caribbean. I’m not doing this shit again.” I say with my chest heaving.

 

“Tobin. Nothing happened. He kissed me and I pushed him off of me when I realized what he wanted.” Alex says stepping closer to me but I step back.

 

“If this is real between us, if you really want this, that can’t happen.” I say pointing out the door, indicating Servando. “I am not. Not. Putting up with him. I am not going to be something in a hidden part of your life where you can drag me along because you’re bored with your life.” I say and my hand pointing to the door starts shaking as doubt clouds my mind from my conversation with Ashlyn earlier.

 

“Tobin where is this coming from? I care for you and only you!” Alex says urgently. “Servando is nothing to me accept a part of a contract. I haven’t let him actually touch me in months! I can’t help that we have to stay in hiding, if we didn’t my career would be in the toilet.” Alex says putting her hand on my chest trying to calm me down.

 

“How do I know you aren’t just acting? That I wasn’t just your little token to play with when you’re bored? How do I know that after spending countless hours together you’re going to leave me and run off with Servando?” I ask brokenly as tears well up in my eyes and my body starts to shake with the effort of containing them.

 

“Tobin.” Alex whispers, looking at me with wide eyes.

 

“We were a secret. She said she loved me. She sai-“

 

“Tobin who did this to you?” Alex asks softly and wipes away at a tear that I didn’t know escape.

 

“What happens when y-“

 

“Tobin stop!” Alex interrupts my rambling and for the first time in the last 5 minutes I actually look at her. She’s got both of her hands on my face, holding it steady so that I would actually look at her, and her facial expression is one of concern. “Who did this to you?” She asks again.

 

“A girl.”

 

“What was her name?”

 

“Kendal.” I say so faintly I would be surprised if Alex heard me.

 

“What did Kendal do?” She asks me as she leads me to her bed. As I lay down with my head on Alex’s chest and her arms around me, I think of the night my heart was shattered over 2 years ago.

 

 _Everything was perfect. I had gotten to Kendal’s LSU apartment 2 hours ago to prep everything. I stand back and admire my masterpiece. On her small table I had put down a white tablecloth, candles, and a vase of red roses, those were her favorite. I had two plates with a beautifully cooked steak if I do say so myself, accompanied by asparagus and roasted potatoes, with a glass of red wine on the side._  
  


_I check my watch and give a little pump of my fist when I see that she should be walking through the door literally any minute now. I look over my outfit to make sure I have no food stains, and once I see I’m clean, I walk to the hallway, which is also adorned with candles, to wait for Kendal. She gets out of practice from soccer at 8 o’clock every night._

 

_Tonight was our three-year anniversary. I had told her that I couldn’t make the drive up to LSU tonight because I had a group project I had to do, but really I had lied so that I could surprise her. After a few minutes of waiting in the hallway, making sure everything is perfect, I glance at my watch and see she is 15 minutes later than usual. Maybe she got stuck talking to coach I think to myself as I walk into the kitchen. I put both of our plates in the oven, and put it on low heat so that our food would not get cold._

_I decide to wash the dishes in the sink because I know how long her coach’s talks could be. Sometimes they would last an hour and she wouldn’t get back to her apartment until 9:30 at night. I check my watch again after I finish with the dishes and frown when I see that she is 30 minutes late. The frown disappears when I hear keys clicking into the lock. I run to the oven and hurriedly pull out both plates, and set them down on the table before skipping into the hallway with a large smile on my face._

_My smile drops completely when I see Kendal pushed up against the wall with a guy kissing her fiercely._

_“Kendal…” I say quietly and both of them detach themselves from one another._

_“What are you doing here Tobin?” Kendal sighs._

_“I-it-it’s our 3 year anniversary.” I mumble out and the guy with her laughs._

_“You told me you were kinda seeing a girl, you didn’t tell me you had been with this dork for three years.” He says pointing to me and my heart cracks when Kendal chuckles along with him._

_“Yeah I mean we went through high school together. The sex was good and she always bought my meals or cooked for me.” Kendal says with a shrug of her shoulders._

_“Ken-“_

_“What’s that smell?” The guy I still had no idea who he was asks._

_“I made us dinner. Kendal what’s going on who is this?” I ask turning my attention to Kendal as the guy walks past me and into the kitchen._

_“Tobin did you really think you would be good enough for me? When you came to me playing your little guitar and singing to me I thought it was cute but lets get real. You and your band will amount to nothing. Am I supposed to spend my freshman year of college dating some high school senior soccer dweeb who plays in a band in a crappy bar when I can have someone like Duke? C’mon Tobin. It was only a matter of time until you realized you would never be good enough for me and I’ve already moved on. Actually for some time now.” Kendal says and contemplates over something in her head as my breathing becomes faster and my chest starts to heave._

_“How long has this been going on for?” I ask looking to my right to Duke who was cutting off a piece of steak and eating it. “Hey wait that’s not for you!” I yell to Duke who just chuckles and continues eating._

_“Toby. Honey.” Kendal drawls out and I look back to her as she places her hand on my cheek and I look up into the bright green eyes I had fallen in love with 3 years ago._

_“Didn’t you notice something had changed after my recruiting trip here?”_

_“No.” I say desperately thinking back to when she visited LSU a year ago._

_“I met Duke at the party my host brought me to.” Kendal sighs and I just gape at her so she clicks her tongue across the roof of her mouth. “Tobin. You didn’t think it was weird that I always had to stay out late for practice, god I can’t believe I have to explain this to you. You really are an oblivious kid.” She says rubbing her fingers across her forehead._

_“I think I’m going to be sick.” I mumble out as the whole situation hits me like a train. Kendal had been cheating on me for over a year. I never had even an inkling that she was. I thought she loved me as much as I loved her._

_“Is this why you wanted to keep our relationship a secret?” I ask brokenly._

_“Tobin I couldn’t be seen with the class dork. I mean look at me. Do you honestly think people would take me seriously if they knew I was with you?”_

_“But you said t-“_

_“I said a lot of things I didn’t mean.” Kendal states._

_“I-I-um-“_

_“I I I.” Duke mocks me as he walks back into the room chewing the steak I had meticulously cooked. “Jesus she’s a fucking joke. Listen Todin or whatever the fuck your name is, why don’t you just get the hint and get out. Obviously she’s trying to tell you that she doesn’t want you in her life anymore. There’s the door.” He nods with his head as he puts an arm around Kendal and bringing her closer to him._

_I walk away, dazed, confused and heart broken. I look over my shoulder before I walk out the door and see that Kendal is looking at me the same way people look at a homeless person. One of pity mixed with thank god I’m not them and the mindset that you’ll forget about them within 5 minutes. I take in a deep painful breath and close the door behind me before I collapse to the ground. I sit there in a daze for I don’t even know how long until my phone rings. I answer the phone mindlessly._

_“Hello.” I say dully._

_“Yo Tobito how’s the date going? Hate to interrupt but we need to know what you meant on a certain part of this chorus.” Ash says and then rambles off about something._

_“Tobin.”_

_“TOBIN!” Ash yells into the phone and it breaks me out of my stupor._

_“Yeah?”_

_“Dude what is wrong with you? You’re totally blanking out. Oh my god is Kendal fucking you right now?! Ew come on Tobs you could have just ignore-“_

_“Kendal cheated on me.” I say calmly, almost as if I were commenting the weather and the line goes silent._

_“What?” Ash says quietly._

_“She um. She uh just told me that she’s been cheating on me for the past year.” I get out before a sob hits me._

_“Where are you?” Ash says and I hear a commotion in the background._

_“Um still sitting on her porch.” I say taking in my surroundings._

_“I will be there in 20 minutes Tobin.” Ash says quickly and hangs up._

_I look down at my hands and don’t look back up until I hear hurried footsteps coming up to me. I look up slowly and see Ashlyn standing above me with a concerned look on her face._

_“C’mon Tobs. Let’s get you home.” She says as she helps me up but suddenly I panic._

_“Wait stop! This is a mistake! She didn’t mean it, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about! She-she just needs to sit down and talk to me!” I say frantically as I glance back to the front door. Ash sighs and suddenly noises are coming from the apartment that I hadn’t even heard before Ash was here. Ash and I hear groans and Kendal’s voice telling Duke to fuck her harder. Ash’s jaw tightens and my legs give out and I find myself collapsing into Ash’s arms. She grunts and picks me up and that’s when I lose it._

_Sobs rack my body as Ashlyn carries me back to her car. She places me gently in the passenger seat and buckles me because the only thing I can do right now is have my hands raised to my face as I cry hysterically. I curl myself into a ball, waiting for the pain that was overwhelming my heart to pass._

Tears run down my cheeks as I relive one the most painful memories I harbor. Throughout the story Alex runs her hands through my hair as I reveal the reason why I am so insecure with girls, past the large lump in my throat.

 

“Tobin.” She calls my name softly and my head pops up from it’s spot on her chest. She looks deep into my eyes as her hand cups my face.

 

“She doesn’t know what she’s missing out on. You are the most genuine, loving, alive person I have ever met. You make me want to be a better person. Being around you is a better high than any drug I’ve ever had.” Alex says as tears well up in her eyes.

“Your smile is contagious. No matter how angry or sad I am at the world, all I need is to take one look at your smile and life seems a little better. I find myself thanking whatever unearthly force there is out there that made us meet. I don’t think you understand that I’d rather be with you more than anyone else.” She says and then her face becomes serious.  

 

“I promise I will never do what that bitch did to you.” She vows and I open my mouth to protest but she puts her finger over my mouth to silence me.

 

“I promise.” She says and seals it by kissing me gently on my lips. I pull back and we stare at each other for a moment before a small smile crosses my face and Alex smiles brilliantly at me.

 

Damn.

 

Ash was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are we thinking?? If you have any questions hit me up on my tumblr wolfgangrythem!


	27. They Sink It You Drink It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait guys! Finals were a bitch. Buttttt ITS THE SUMMER NOWWWWWWWW! Enjoy!
> 
> p.s.- Sorry for all those who are still in high school and have school for another week

“Yo bitches it’s time to partyyyyy.” Kelley yells as she enters the room causing Alex to roll off of me quickly. 

“Seriously guys? I know you’ve ‘officially’ been together for a week and your libidos must be going crazy, but c’mon lay off the saliva swapping and the hip thrusting and come join the real world!” Kelley says as she walks to her closet to pick out an outfit for the night. 

“You are seriously the worst friend ever.” I groan out as my heart rate is still racing from the proximity of Alex. The past week and a half has been the most wonderful/frustrating week ever. On one hand just being close to Alex and being able to call her mine, even if it was only when it was just the two of us, filled me with immeasurable happiness. On the other, being that close to Alex filled me with a burning desire to have all of her. I don’t think she understood that even the lightest brush of her hand against me lit a fire inside of me. If it were possible to die from sexual frustration, I would have been six feet in the ground a week ago. 

“What do you want Kelley?” Alex asks with a flushed face as she hops off the bed and straightens her clothes. 

“Woh who woh all this hostility. Tobin cut out the death glare.” Kelley says pointing to me with squinted eyes as I glare back at her. “Soccer boys are having a party tonight. I’m dragging you two love sick puppies out to mingle with other humans.”

“Kelley you know I can’t really go out to parties. If someone gets a picture of me-“ Alex tries to reason but Kelley cuts her off.

“No one is going to do anything to you Alex. Everyone has this kind of silent understanding to stop bothering you after a few weeks.” She says with a flick of her wrist. 

“I don’t want to go if it’s just you and random people Kel.” I sigh out. 

“It’s not just me! Even though I’m slightly offended that you wouldn’t want to bask in my presence! Anyways Kling, Pinoe, Ash, Al-“ 

“Ash is going out?” I ask in surprise. 

After being released from the hospital, Ash got herself a lawyer and went to court against Brent. Unfortunately she could not get him to serve time. She and Ali however both received a restraining order for him. The judge declared that if Brent broke his restraining order then he would serve a short amount of time in jail. The stitches had been taken out and her ribs barely hurt anymore, or so she told us. 

“Yeah she said after the two weeks she had, she needs to go out, drink, and have some fun. And really Tobin, who can blame her? So c’mon. Do this for Ash.” Kelley says as she grabs an outfit and walks into the bathroom. I turn to Alex and sigh with a smirk on my face. 

“Are you ok with going out?” I ask her. 

“Yeah. I mean if it gets really annoying I can just leave.” She says with a shrug of her shoulders. 

“Well if that’s the case, then I better go change.” I say and pull her in for a kiss. It was going to be a simple peck, but her lips were intoxicating and I can’t help but deepen it. I nip at her bottom lip, making her take a sharp inhale, and run my tongue across it before slipping fully inside of her mouth. 

“HORN DOGS! The both of you!” Kelley shouts at us causing us to once again jump apart. 

“I knew YOU were a horn dog Tobs, but Alex I didn’t expect that from you. Well, you learn something new everyday. Now Tobin get out.” She says while pushing me out the door. 

“Wait what?! Why do I have to leave?” I ask confused. 

“Because I have to make your girl look hot! Which shouldn’t be hard, I mean look at her, but we’re gonna really blow you away.” Kelley says as she continues to shoo me out of the room. 

“Really?” I say excitedly looking back to Alex who just smiles softly, but I look back to Kelley quickly. “Ok but wait not too hot. I mean you always look amazing Alex you know that! But like I don’t want to have to fend off every straight guy in New Orleans. You know what probably all guys because what gay guy wouldn’t want to be best friends with you! Kelley jus-“ 

“Tobin shut up I understand. Don’t get your panties in a wad.” Kelley says while I hear Alex chuckling and slams the door in my face. I scrunch my nose before turning and heading to my room to get ready. 

10 minutes later I find myself in front of a mirror, examining myself. I had gone with my classic black ripped jeans, a plain large black t-shirt, and a black Hurley snap back I had gotten while in Hawaii. Nodding my head at my outfit of choice, I look over to Ash who has the same black on black on black combination. 

“Well damn don’t we look fucking depressing.” I chuckle to Ash.

“Whatever dude, we look ball’n.” Ash says as she wipes some dirt off of her black boots. 

“Alright I’ll see you and Ali at the party!” I call out to Ash as I walk out the door. 

I knock at Kelley and Alex’s door and for some reason, I suddenly became nervous. I am fixing my hat when Kelley opened the door. 

“Alex! The dork is here let’s go!” Kelley shouts as she walks by me and waits in the hallway. 

I turn from watching Kelley walk away to the room and bite my lip at the sight before me. Alex was in white converse high tops and torn high waisted jean shorts that showed off her tan toned legs. My eyes travel up and stop when I see that she is wearing a cropped white and black ringer shirt, her hair flowing gracefully down her back. 

“Fuck.” I mumble under my breath. 

“What was that Toby??” Kelley pipes in from behind me. 

“I thought I told you to make her not that hot. She’s fucking irresistible in this!!” I say to Kelley motioning to Alex who was walking towards me. 

“Tobin. Let’s go have some fun.” Alex says seductively while running a finger down my chest and walking by me. 

My jaw drops and I look to Kelley who is biting her lip and her eyebrows are almost to her hairline. 

“Di-did you give her alcohol…?” 

“We might have had a shot or two…” Kelley says backing away slowly.

“Kelley!”

“Run Alex! She’s onto us!!” Kelley shouts as she grabs Alex by the arm and they run down the stairs shrieking. 

“Dear God help me.” I say rolling my eyes and following after them with a smile on my face. 

We arrive at the house 5 minutes later and can hear the music booming from outside. 

“Let’s do this!” Kelley says excitedly and running into the house. Alex is about to follow, but I grab her hand to stop her. 

“Hey. If you ever get uncomfortable we can lea-“ 

“Tobin. Let’s just have fun. I want to be a normal college kid with no worries other then where I’m going to pass out tonight when I’m too drunk to remember where my bed is.” Alex tells me before walking into the house. 

I follow after her and look around to see that the room is filled with mostly athletes and a few random people. I make my way to the kitchen to grab myself a drink but suddenly Alex pops up out of nowhere and drags me to the beer pong table. 

“These two football guys say that there’s no way a movie star and a girl soccer player could beat them at beer pong.” Alex says to me whilst pointing at the two muscular boys who were staring cockily at us. 

“Have you ever even played before?” I ask Alex. 

“No but it can’t be that hard right?” Alex says. 

“Yeah I guess not.” I chuckle out. “Ok let’s play. Eye to eye.” I say to the boy on the right. We pick up the ping-pong ball and simultaneously aim. 

“1. 2. 3.” I count off and we shoot at the same time, mine goes in but his bounces off the cups edge. 

“WOOOO! Show em how it’s done Tobs!” Pinoe shouts from the side of the table. I look over and see all of the girls gathered around, Kelley and Pinoe nursing large drinks of god knows what. 

I pick up one ball and hand it to Alex, who shoots it as soon as I hand it over. I’m beyond surprised when the ball lands smoothly in the beer filled cup. I take my shot, and it hits the rim of one cup before dropping into the cup next to it. 

“That’s three baby!” Kling yells excitedly. 

“They sink it you drink it!” Kelley shouts at the two boys. 

“Oh and balls back.” I say moving my fingers in a come hither movement with a smirk on my face. They begrudgingly roll the balls back to us as they down the 3 cups. 

Once they are finished, Alex lines up for her shot again, but this time as she throws her ball, I bounce mine against the table. The boys, who in their defense seemed to be very drunk, reaction time was too slow as my ball bounces into a cup. Alex’s ball hits the rim and bounces away however. 

“Fuckin hell.” One of the boys murmur frustratingly as they knock back their beer again. 

They finally get to shoot and one makes the front most cup, while the other guy misses. I take the beer so that Alex, who I think might have taken a few shots while I was looking around the room, didn’t have to drink it. 

“On fire.” I point to myself as we line up to take our next shot. 

Alex lines up her shot and makes it, which makes her jump up and down in excitement. She looks at me with such joy in her eyes that I don’t even look away as I shoot the ball in my right hand. By the sound of screaming and yelling, I knew I had somehow made it. Alex looks away for a second before looking back at me, her excited eyes wider then they were before. 

“DUDE!! You just made it in the same cup as Alex!!” Ash yells into my ear, shaking my shoulders. 

“GAME OVER LOSERSSSSSS!!” Kelley shouts to the two football players who are looking at us in disbelief. 

“You didn’t tell me you were an expert beer ponger.” Alex says to me. 

“That’s all we did at night on the beach while I was in Hawaii this summer.” I say with a smile. Suddenly the music changes from pop to house music and I watch Alex’s eyes alight with delight. 

“You know I’m pretty good at something else too.” I lean in and whisper to Alex. 

“Which is what?” She asks, looking at my lips. 

“Dancing with a beautiful girl.” I whisper into her ear as I lead her away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You think that the beer pong shot without looking might be made up, but I saw it happen in person and it was the most awesome thing ever! This guy wanted to impress a girl that he liked and he did that. Needless to say they've been dating for two years now lol. 
> 
> Anyways enough about that, I hope you liked the chapter! Let me know what you guys think and what you would like to see in the next few chapters! If you have any in depth questions or suggestions hit me up on my tumblr Wolfgangrythem!


	28. Alex?

I drag Alex through the crowded house to the make shift dance floor in the middle of the living room. Once we are in the middle, I pull her so that she is in front of me and I start dancing to the beat that is overwhelming my senses with it’s bass. Alex, who seems to be drunk at this point, hooks her fingers in my belt loops, and pulls me forward until there is practically no space in between us. She runs her hands seductively down the front of my shirt and moves her hips into mine.

 

“Alex. People will see.” I gulp out.

“I don’t care.” She says as she continues to move against me.

 

“You will in the morning. Ale-“

 

“Tobin. Dance with me.” She says so softly I have to read her lips to understand what she is saying over the blaring music. I nod my head and she smiles sweetly at me before hooking an arm around my neck and letting the other one lay on my hip where she had snuck a few fingers under my shirt.

 

 

[Crave You](https://youtu.be/ZeaIvjoH1FY) 

 

“This is good one.” I comment. Alex just bends her head to where ours are now connected and she moves her hips smoothly against mine. She glances up at me and I take all of her in quickly. She was breathing heavy from the heat of the bodies surrounding us and from dancing, her full lips were even more inviting then normal under the black light glow, she was covered in a light sheen of sweat, and her eyes were ablaze with desire as she stares up at me through her eyelashes. Never in my life had I seen someone so beautiful.

 

Alex suddenly turns around, breaking my observation of her, and grinds into my front. I place my hands on her hips, gripping them, as I lean in and whisper in her ear.

 

“I thought you said you weren’t a very good dance.”

 

“It helps when I have a great partner. And I’m drunk.” She adds the second part as an afterthought, which draws a chuckle out of me.

 

I lower my head and discreetly lick Alex’s neck, causing Alex to gasp and she stops moving her hips to spin around and look at me. I smirk at her as my tongue tingles inside of my mouth from the saltiness of her sweat.

 

“What was that?” Alex demands with wide eyes.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I say barely controlling myself from full out smiling.

 

“Mhm.” She hums out while giving me the stink eye. “I’m going to go get a drink. Care to join?” She asks, but doesn’t even wait for my answer and walks out the room, exaggerating the swaying of her hips. My mouth goes dry, and I’m pretty sure every guy she walks by has the same thing running through their head as I do. Hot fucking damn.

 

I shake my head and follow after her, but I look around and can’t spot her anywhere. I continue to make my way to the kitchen and see that she is still nowhere in sight. I go to the counter and rummage through the many bottles that litter the counter. I hum to myself in delight when I find a mostly full Cruzan Single Barrel bottle, and go to find myself a shot glass or tumbler.

 

“Cruzan Single Barrel. That is my favorite.” A sultry voice from behind me calls out. I turn around and am surprised to see Erin from The Dock standing in front of me. My eyes, out of habit, move over her body quickly, and again I can’t deny that she is an attractive woman. I might find her attractive, but she can’t even compare to Alex.

 

“Erin.” I say in a surprised tone.

 

“Tobin.” She smiles at me as she saunters over. “I see you’re still a fan of the rum.”

 

“Yeahhh.” I say looking at the bottle in my hand. “Hawaii kind of got me hooked on it.”

 

“You’ve visited Hawaii?” She asks interested. I explain that I spent the whole summer there working on my grand parents beach side bar, and she tells me about how she had also spent the summer in Hawaii

 

“No way! What island were you on? I was on O’ahu.” I say to her excitedly.

 

“I was on Maui.” She says as she takes a sip of the drink I had poured her.

 

“What were you doing on Maui?” I ask as I take a sip of my own drink.

 

“My friend has a house down there so instead of going back to California to surf, I went to Hawaii and basically spent the whole time in the water.”

 

“You’re fucking kidding me!” I say slapping her arm. “That’s awesome!”

 

“Well I’d say what you did this summer was pretty cool too! Too bad we weren’t on the same island…I’m sure we somehow would have found each other.” She says softly, running her hand down my arm and I gulp.

 

“So I never got that dance.” Erin says and my jaw moves up and down as I try to think of something to say.

 

“Uhh Erin you see-“ I stumble out and stop when I see Alex stumbling in the hallway with Kelley, causing Erin to look over her shoulder.

 

“Ohhh I get it. You have the hots for Ms. Superstar.” Erin says with a disappointed tone of voice and I just stare at her.

 

“Are y-“

 

“TOBINNNNNNN.” Alex sings and I barely have time to catch her as she flings herself on me.

 

“Hey Alex.” I chuckle at her.

 

“Kelley dragged me away to talk about us.” She stage whispers and my eyes shoot up to Erin who has her eyebrows raised in surprise. Thank god not many people were around us, and those that were, were too drunk to notice.

 

“Alex maybe w-

 

“And she told me that if I broke your heart” she says pointing to my chest, “that she would kill me. Literally. She told me her top 5 ways of how she would kill me.” She states and I hear Erin chuckle behind me.

 

“You know what? I just thought of several flaws in her plan.”

 

“Like breaking the law?” I say smirking.

 

“And that’s another thing to add to the list! I’ll be back in a second!” She says running away, but not before twirling around and placing a haste kiss on my cheek. I watch her skip through the crowd and then I turn my attention back to Erin who has one eyebrow raised.

 

“Erin…” I say with my hands raised. “I kno-“

 

“You don’t have to explain to me. I get it. And trust me, no one will be hearing about this from me. I’m sure she would hate for this to get out.” She says smiling softly at me, allowing the breath I was holding to be released.

 

“You have no idea what kind of relief that is to me.” I say as I down the rest of my drink.

 

“Friends?” Erin says holding out her hand.

 

“Friends.” I smile at her taking her hand without hesitation and shaking it.

 

“Shame I didn’t get to you before her. I think we could’ve had some fun.” She smirks at me.

 

“Maybe. I guess we’ll never know.” I say with a shrug of my shoulders.

 

“I’ll get that dance from you one of these days.” Erin says with a wink before walking away from me.

 

I watch her for only a second before I push off of the sink and go out in search of Alex. I make two rounds around the house and she is still nowhere in sight. I walk outside and see Kelley but no Alex.

 

“Kelley have you seen Alex?”

 

“She told me she was going inside to find you…?” Kelley tells me.

 

“I can’t find her.” I state before walking away to continue my search.

 

My heart starts to race when I make another round around the house and Alex is still absent. Growing desperate I start opening every door, seeing if Alex had maybe stepped into a room for a phone call. I stop when one of the doors I open lead to a staircase. I didn’t even know there was a second floor in this house I thought to myself as I get a sick feeling in my stomach.

 

“Alex??” I call out running up the stairs. I hear a thud coming from the direction of the room at the end of the corridor. I go to open the door but find that it’s locked.

 

“Alex. Alex are you in there?” I knock on the door.

 

After waiting for a moment, I move down the hall to open the next door. I’m about to go downstairs after finding nothing in the other rooms when I hear a thud come from the room down the corridor again. My heart pounding in my chest, I run back down the hall and don’t even hesitate to kick the flimsy door open. I take in the sight before me in a span of a second before I react.

 

Alex was lying on the bed, unconscious, with her shorts unbuttoned, and a guy was standing without his shoes on and his belt buckle undone. It only takes a second for rage to completely over power my senses. I grab the glass candle on the table right next to the door and hurl it at the guy, hitting him in the shoulder, causing him to stumble into the wall behind him. I charge at him, picking up the bottle of vodka off of the ground before slamming it into his head. Dazed, he falls to the ground completely and I jump on him.

 

“What. The. Fuck. Do. You. Think. You. Are. DOING!” I punch him as hard as I can with every word that I shout. I grab the collar of his shirt and slam his head several times into the ground.

 

“Look at me.” I say but his head rolls to the side as he is about to lose conscious. “LOOK AT ME!” I scream into his face.

 

“If you so much as even look at her again I will kill you.” I whisper dangerously to him. “Do you hear me? I will kill you.” I say again and he nods his head vigorously.

 

I stand and kick him in the face, effectively knocking him out. I check his pockets, seeing if I could find his wallet for his identity, but am unsuccessful. I stare at him in pure rage as I breathe hard through my nose. I spit on him and spin on my feet when I hear stirring on the bed. I run over to see Alex moving around, but she still seems really out of it.

 

“Alex. Alex wake up. Baby you gotta wake up.” I say gently to her but she’s still unresponsive.

 

I go to lift her up when I see my hands are covered in blood, both his and mine. I stare at them for a moment, before wiping them on my black shirt, wincing at the soreness already setting in. Cursing silently, I pull out my phone and call all of the girls. Every single one of their phones goes to voicemail, except Kelley’s. Luckily, she answers on the first ring.

 

“Kelley! Thank god you answered! I ne-“

 

“Woh woh Tobin slow down this isn’t Kelley, this is Ann.”

 

“Shit. Where is Kelley?” I ask as I sit down on the bed and move the hair out of Alex’s face gently, and button her shorts back together.

 

“Kelley is passed out at her dorm. I just dropped her off and I was coming back to the party to grab my backpack that I forget. Why? Do you need something?” Ann asks.

 

I hesitate as I look to Alex who is passed out on the bed and to the guy knocked out in the corner of the room.

 

“Yeah. I need your help Ann.” I say desperately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ............ sooooo what are we thinking guys?


	29. I'm Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient guys! Hope you enjoy!

I pace restlessly next to the bed, my heart in my throat as I look down at Alex. My thoughts are interrupted when I hear the broken door creak open and I whirl around to see Ann slowly walking through the door with a confused expression on her face. 

“Tobin what’s going on? You sounded li-“ Ann begins but stops when she takes in the situation. I watch her eyes glance from the bloodied boy next to the wall, over to Alex who is passed out on the bed, and finally onto me. 

“Tobin…what is going on.” She demands as she walks carefully over to me. 

“Ann. I couldn’t find Alex anywhere and I searched the whole house 3 times for her but couldn’t find her anywhere! I was opening every door and found this staircase and came up it, heard a thud and ran into this room to find that guy” I point to the passed out body in the corner with disgust, “ with his shoes off and his belt undone standing over Alex with her shorts undone and who I think has been drugged.” I ramble off quickly but whimper out the last few words. 

Ann’s jaw clenches and she rushes over to Alex’s side. I observe her pull off her backpack and dig through it before coming up with a flashlight.

“Kelley said that you’re a nurse or something.” I say as I watch her move over Alex. 

“Yeah, I’m an ER nurse.” She says as she opens one of Alex’s closed eyes, flashing the light on and peers into it. She checks her pulse point, and then pauses before turning around to look at me. 

“You said her shorts were undone?” She asked in a serious tone and I nod my head. 

“What about her underwear?” 

“I-I don’t know. I don’t think that they were off or pulled down, I can’t remember Ann.” I say running my hands through my hair but wince when the cut on my hands get caught in my hair. Ann looks at me, then down at Alex, and then over to the boy on the ground before sighing. 

“We need to get these two to a hospital.” Ann says as she goes to check the still unconscious boy, carefully maneuvering around the shattered glass. 

“Ann we can’t let anyone see her leave like this! What if someone gets a picture of this!” I say immediately. 

Ann stops examining the boy, stands, and walks over to what looks like a closet. She rips open the doors and grabs a large black hoodie before throwing it to me. 

“Put that on her, and put you’re hat on her head. There is no way I’m leaving without getting these two to the doctor, and this asshole charged with attempted rape.” She says in repulsion.

“Alex. Alex you gotta wake up for me.” I say gently as I sit her up and try to begin putting the sweatshirt over her head. 

“Toun.” Alex mumbles under her breath. 

“Yeah it’s me baby, just relax ok. We’re getting you out of here.” I say and place my hat on her head, shadowing most of her face. 

“What’s you’re plan now Ann? How do we get that piece of shit down stairs?” 

“Lucky for you this piece of shit is starting to stir. Jesus Tobin. I wouldn’t be surprised if you gave him a hemorrhage.” Ann mutters under her breath as she checks his eye with her flashlight. 

“Ok game plan. My car is right out front. You carry Alex down and if anyone asks, she’s just super drunk. Then I come down with this asshole” She says as she gets the very groggy guy to stand “Whose hoodie will be on” She puts his hoodie on “ And follow you out the door. If anyone asks, he was drunk and hit his head on the sink.” Ann says. 

“Alright, Alex can you put your hands around my neck?” I ask Alex as I go to pick her up, but she doesn’t respond. 

“Shit. Ok.” I mumble to before repositioning myself, and with a good bit of effort, manage to get Alex on my back. 

“Ok let’s go.” I huff out from my bent over position. Ann follows behind me with the guy putting his arm around her neck and stumbling out the door. 

We manage to miraculously get through the party and into Ann’s car without anyone stopping us. The car is silent the whole 10 minutes to the hospital as I lay Alex’s head on my lap in the back seat. We pull up to the emergency room and Ann honks the horn for her coworkers to come out. 

By the time Ann has run around the side to help me with Alex, two nurses are running out pushing a gurney. 

“We have a sexual assault victim. She was drugged at a party, and needs to have a rape test done. Oh and Dave, get another gurney. We’ve got the guy who attempted the rape.” Ann informs the nurses who rush Alex through the door. 

I turn around as I hear the car door open and see the guy trying to get out of the car and walk away. He stumbles against the side of the car as he gets his feet under him, but I charge at him and slam him into the car. 

“Don’t even think about you piece of shit!” I say to him as his eyes try to focus on me. 

“Tobin. Let him go, Dave has to take him in.” Ann says as she pulls me away from the guy. 

“Why should he even get treatment?! He tried to rape Alex!” I yell in frustration. 

“Because I am a nurse and this is a hospital. We don’t reject someone because of his or her situation. We are here to heal. That is our job.” Ann says lightly as she tries to calm me down as my chest still heaves with emotion. 

“C’mon Tobin. Let’s go sit down inside.” She says as she gently takes my arm and leads me through the automated doors. 

Once Ann has me sitting, the situation fully hits me and I lean forward putting my head in my hands. 

“I should never have let her out of my sight.” I choke out. 

“Tobin. Don’t you dare go and blame yourself for this. This could have happened to literally anyone.” Ann comforts me. 

“I’m supposed to take care of her.” I sniffle out as I wipe away a tear that was tracking down my cheek. 

“Tobin. Look at me.” Ann says as she takes my face in both of her hands. “This is not your fault. Alex will not blame you for this. And she is going to be all right. A little shaken up but all right.”

“Wait. So he didn’t… he di-“

“No. Not that I could tell.” Ann says with a shake of her head and I let out a breath of relief, but look back at her sharply. 

“How do you know?”

“I’ve seen a lot of cases in the past year unfortunately.” She says and I nod my head in understanding. As time drags on, my fiddling with my fingers becomes more restless and I can feel Ann watching me out of the corner of her eye. 

“Soooooooo.” Ann drawls out. 

“Sooooo?” I ask Ann in confusion.

“What’s up with you and Alex?” Ann asks nonchalantly. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I say going back to playing with my fingers. 

“Tobin. I’m dating Kelley O’Hara. I’ve gotten pretty good at realizing when someone is bullshitting me.” She says with a light chuckle. 

“It’s complicated.” I say with a sigh. 

“Well we’ve got nothing but time.” She says to me and I look at her before deciding that I could trust her. I mean my best friend is in love with her so she can’t be that bad right? I launch myself into telling Ann everything that has happened between us, and Ann sits there and listens. 

“Are you happy?” She asks after a few minutes of silence. 

“Besides what happened tonight, I’ve been happier in the past week then I have in the last 3 years.” I say to Ann with a smile. 

“Well I guess that’s all that matters isn’t it.” She says, returning the smile. 

“Tobin Heath?” I hear someone call out from behind me and turn around to see Officer Holmes. 

“Officer Holmes.” I say standing to shake his hand. 

“You’ve just been in the middle of it all month haven’t you?” he asks in a slightly teasing tone. 

“Unfortunately.”

“Well. Your friend- actually have they informed you about her yet?” He asks the pair of us. 

“Um no they haven’t. Do you know how she is??” I ask franticly. 

“Yes, but I think the doctor can do a better job of informing you.” He points behind us to a doctor that was approaching us. 

“You are the two girls who brought in Mrs. Morgan correct?” She asks us once she’s reached us. 

“Yes mam. Could you tell us how she is?” Ann asks calmly. 

“Her blood came back positive with rohypnol, so that boy did drug her. However, her rape test came back negative.”

“Thank god.” I sigh out with my hands over my eyes. “Wait. Does this mean that that guy gets to just walk out of here??” I question Officer Holmes. 

“We take rape very seriously Mrs. Heath, even if it is only attempted. I’d like to hear from you what exactly happened. That includes what happened to his face.” He says eyeing my busted knuckles. 

Ann looks at me before grabbing the doctor’s arm and leading her away from Officer Holmes and I. I recall everything I can remember for Officer Holmes, who is writing away in his notepad. 

“So will he get time for this?” I ask when he starts to put away his notepad. 

“If I can help it, yes. It depends on what judge he gets, but most of the time attempted rape will get a minimum of 5 years.” He says seriously.

“Officer Holmes…. I don’t know if you are aware of who Alex is bu-“

“I’m aware of who she is.” He informs me. 

“So you know that it would be in Alex’s best interest if this was kept under wraps.” I say to him. 

“Of course. Nothing will get out on my end. Have her lawyers contact me. I’ll be by in the morning to talk to Alex when she’s lucid” He says handing me another one of his cards. 

“Will do Officer. Have a good night.” I say to him as I walk back to Ann who is talking to the doctor still. 

“Can we see her now?” I ask immediately when I am in front of the pair.

“Actually you can. We gave her medicine through an IV that cleared out the rohypnol in her system. She is still a little out of it, but is well enough to have visitors. She’s in room 103.” The doctor tells us and we begin walking down the hallway before a thought crosses my mind and I spin on my heel.

“Doctor. What about that fucking prick?” I sneer out. 

“Language Tobin!” Ann hits my arm. 

“He’ll recover. He was lucky to have no brain damage.” The doctor says looking down at my bloodied and battered knuckles before answering her phone and saunters away. 

When we reach room 103, Ann pauses outside of the door and looks at me. 

“You go in. I’ll wait out here.” She says with a hand on my arm. 

“Thanks Ann. For everything.” I say to her sincerely and she just nods her head.

I walk slowly into the room, and move to the side of Alex’s bed. Her eyes are closed peacefully, and I run a hand gently down the side of her face. Her eyes open and she jerks her head around, blinking at me a few times to clear her eyes. 

“Tobin?” She whimpers out before breaking down in tears, holding onto my shirt for dear life. 

“I’m here Alex. I’m here.” I choke out as I climb into bed and hold her sobbing form.


	30. Come Home With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait guys! Real life got in the way, had some family issues, had to help my friend with his wedding which is this weekend, but I'm back with this chapter for you guys! I'm going to get out one more chapter for you guys in the next few days because next week I'm going on family vaca for two weeks( I know it's a long time but this trip is going to be insane! A 3 day whitewater rafting trip and camping on the river bank in Utah is only one of the things we're doing! To say I'm pumped is an understatement) and won't be updating during that time. I just want to inform you guys so you don't think I'm pulling one of those *ahem* possibly not updating for four months thing like some of my other stories *cough A Place to Call Home cough Camp Red Fern cough*. Anyways I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

“Shh I’ve got you Alex.” I whisper into her ear as I rock her still crying frame.

 

“Tobin h-he al-almos-“ She sputters out.

 

“I know baby I know.” I say kissing the top of her head. I sit there holding Alex until she has calmed down and the sobbing has stopped.

 

“What happened Alex?” I ask gently.

 

“I was just going to fix myself a drink in the kitchen and this guy offers to make my drink for me because he said he makes the best cocktails. So I let him make mine and the next thing I knew, my head is really fuzzy and he says he’s taking me somewhere to sit down.” She says with a sniffle. “The rest is kind of a blur. I remember him standing over me while I’m on the bed and I couldn’t get my body to move even though I was trying really hard, then I heard smashing and other noises and then I heard your voice and now I’m here.”

 

“I’m so sorry Alex. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left your side, I shou-“

 

“Woh this isn’t your fault.” Alex turns to me, but the guilt still doesn’t leave my eyes.

 

“Tobin. This isn’t your fault, not in the least.” Alex puts her hand on my face as my chin starts to quiver.

 

“Ok.” I say shakily as my chin continues to tremble as I attempt to restrain my emotions.

 

Alex puts her head back into my neck and I close my eyes as a single tear tracks its way down my cheek.

 

………..

 

“So since you’ve talked to Officer Holmes and you’re lawyer, do you want to get out of here?” I ask Alex as she comes out of the bathroom, having changed into normal clothes.

 

“Yes. Please. I hate hospitals.” Alex says.

 

“Well you know, I was thinking…. Since it’s Friday and we’ve already missed our classes for the day, and we have the weekend, I thought maybe um I could bring you home with me. You know just to uh relax and get away from everything for a while.” I mumble nervously as I fiddle with the whole in the hem of my t-shirt.

 

Alex pauses putting her clothes in the bag the hospital provided for her items and looks at me. She doesn’t say anything, and with every passing moment, I think that I might have pushed it too far.

 

“You know what that was a stupid idea.” I mumble, rubbing the back of my neck. “ I’ll just bring you back to your dorms, you know where you’re familiar with everything and being comfortable and stuff.” I start to put the bag in Alex’s hand in my backpack, when her fingers on my bicep stop me.

 

“Are you inviting me to your home to stay for the weekend?” She asks in a surprised tone and I just nod my head.

 

“I would honestly love that.” Alex smiles at me and I smile back sheepishly.

 

“Ok, well let’s get you out of here then.” I say pecking her lips before continuing to pack up the small amount of items in the room.

 

After taking care of all of the paper work, we begin to walk towards the exit where Ann and Kelley had dropped off my car this morning. God bless Ann. She has been amazing throughout these 12 hours of hell. She had waited outside the room until Alex and I had composed our selves, had talked and threatened all of the people on the case that if it got out that they would answer to her, had brought Alex and I clothes, and had only told Kelley the situation because she needed her help to bring my car here. I’m going to have to repay her in some type of way. Maybe I’ll get her a full paid meal for her and Kelley’s favorite restaurant.

 

When we are about to walk outside, I stop Alex by putting my hand on her arm.

 

“Let’s put this on you so no one sees you leaving the hospital.” I say as I pull my hat off my head and put it on her head so that it shadows most of her face. She smiles softly at me before squeezing my hand and continuing to walk out the door.

 

As we pulled out of the parking lot, I shot off a quick text to Kelley.

 

**Tobin: Hey we’re leaving the hospital, can you pack a quick bag for Alex. Nothing fancy, just t-shirts and shorts and necessities. We’ll be pulling up in about 10, if you could be down in the lobby waiting for us that would be awesome**

**Kelley: Yeah you got it bud!**

 

**Tobin: Thanks Kel, You’re the best**

 

It takes us a little over 10 minutes to get to the dorms, and by that time Kelley is waiting on the steps with a duffel bag full of Alex’s clothes. When she sees us pulling up, she jogs over to my car and throws the bag in the backseat.

 

“Heading to la casa de Heath for the weekend?” Kelley asks and I nod my head.

 

“Well hold on then.” She says and proceeds to make her way around the car, opens the door, and pulls Alex into a bear hug. I can’t hear what Kelley is saying but I see her whisper something in Alex’s ear and Alex nodding her head. She pulls back, but not before placing a kiss on Alex’s forehead.

 

“Alright you two crazy kids get out of here.” She sings out as she pats the side of the car and begins to walk away.

 

“Hey Kel hold up.” I say as I hop out of the car.

 

“Hey I just want to than-“

 

“Tobin you don’t have to thank us.”

 

“Yeah I do Kel. I don’t know what I would have done without Ann. Please tell her that I’ll never be able to repay her for her help last night and both of your help this morning. I want to cover a dinner for the both of you at whatever restaur-“

 

“Tobin seriously, you-“

 

“Kelley I’m serious. I want to repay you guys and I know you love The Grill Room, so-“

 

“Tobi-“

 

“Kelley this is happening, whether you like it or not. I know a waitress that works there I’m going to get her to charge it to me. Let me do this small thing for the both of you for helping Alex. And me, because I couldn’t have done it without you two, especially Ann.” Kelley looks at me for a second before pulling me into a tight hug.

 

“I love you Kelley.” I say to her as I hug her back just as tight.

 

“I love you too dork.” She says into my ear and kisses my cheek and pushing me back to my car.

 

“Say hi to Momma Heath for me!” She calls out as I climb into the car, and I give her a thumbs up before starting up the engine.

 

When we drive off, I reach over the console to hold Alex’s hand in mine. She looks over to me and smiles sweetly as she pushes a piece of hair behind my ear. She turns up the radio and looks at me expectantly.

 

“What?” I chuckle out.

 

“Sing please? I love hearing you sing.”

 

“I can do that.” I smile at her and start singing to the familiar Michael Bublé song that is playing on the radio.

 

I sing the whole trip back to my house, with Alex chiming in every once in a while. I’m pulling down the familiar oak lined driveway when I see Dig jump up from her spot under a tree when she sees the familiar form of my car. I park the car and turn to Alex quickly.

 

“Ok I know we’ve only been together for like two weeks, but my mom is going to ask me questions and I want to know how much I can tell her.” I say rapidly as I see my mom stick her head out the front door in surprise of my presence.

 

“You can tell her everything.”

 

“Everything? Like even us being together?”

 

“Yes. I’m totally comfortable telling your mom everything. If she’s anything like you, I know that she’ll be amazing.” She says rubbing her fingers over my hand. I smile brilliantly at her and I see the affect it has on her as happiness spreads throughout her face and reaches her eyes that have been void of emotion for most of the last 12 hours.

 

“Ok. Let’s go see my mom then.” I say still smiling as I hop out of the car.

 

I’m all but attacked by Dig, who I haven’t seen in three weeks, as I get out of the car. I tousle her ears and lean back into the car to grab Alex’s duffle bag.

 

“Tobin Powell Heath! Why did you not tell me you were coming home for the weekend?!?! And were bringing a guest?!?!” I hear my mom shout as she makes her way towards us off the porch.

 

“Sorry mom. It was kind of a last minute decision.” I say as I go in for a hug.

 

“Oh I have missed you.” She says as she squeezes me tighter.

 

“Mom it’s only been three weeks.” I chuckle out as she lets go of me.

 

“I know, but can’t a mother miss her only daughter??”

 

“Yes. Yes she can. Mom, I don’t know if you remember but thi-“

 

“Of course I remember Tobin. Alex, how are you doing honey?” She asks as she pulls Alex into a hug. Alex only hesitates for a second before relaxing into the hug and smiling over my mom’s shoulder at me.

 

“Um mom. There’s something I gotta tell ya.” I say as she lets go of Alex. I walk over to Alex and gently take Alex’s hand in mine. “Alex and I are together.” I say with a smile and look over to see Alex grinning at me as well.

 

My mom’s jaw drops open as she looks between the two of us. It’s only a split second later that she suddenly swings her hand and slaps me across the shoulder.

 

“OW MA! What the heck!” I shout as I rub my arm.

 

“You didn’t tell me that you had a girlfriend?! Much less someone as beautiful and nice as Alex?!” She says to me before turning to Alex.

 

“Alex dear I’m so happy to hear about you and Tobin. You’re welcome in our household at anytime. Please feel free to come here, even when you’re not with Tobin.” My mom says as she pulls Alex into yet another bear hug.

 

“Thank you Mrs. Heath. I do get sick of her sometimes so I might come visit you by myself.” She says with a giggle when she sees the look of mock outrage on my face.

 

“I know. It’s hard to take anything more then small doses with this one.” My mom points to me as she places an arm around Alex and leads her into the house.

 

“Can you believe this?” I ask Dig who is standing next to me. She looks at me before chasing off after my mom and Alex.

 

“Unbelievable.” I mutter to myself with my hands on my hips before following them into the house.


	31. Ok

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back! I can not express how cool this family vaca was! Totally worth every minute of no service ( which were a lot) I swear the whole state of Utah doesn't have service. Anyways hope you enjoy!

I walk through the door and hear voices floating into the fore way from the kitchen, and change my direction towards it. 

“And this is the pantry, and that’s where Tobin hides her candy, feel free to take any of it. She thinks she’s sneaky about it, but she’s hidden her treats in the same exact place since she was 5.”

“Mom! I cannot believe you just revealed my hiding spot!” I say as I round the corner to see my mom actually pointing exactly where my candy stash is. 

“Tobin, you’ll never be able to eat it all.” My mom says with a flick of her wrist and Alex chuckles at the pair of us. 

“So Alex what do you want for dinner?”

“Oh I’m fine with anything Mrs. Heath.” Alex responds.

“You are a guest in my house and it’s early enough in the day that I can plan to make whatever you want. Now what reminds you of home?” My mother asks innocently. A sad forlorn look crosses Alex’s face and she bites her lip, causing me to silently curse to myself at my mom’s unbeknownst question. 

“Macaroni and cheese and baked chicken.” Alex says quietly. 

“Ok honey that sounds perfect to me! I just have to run to the store real quick to go get some ingredients.” She says as she grabs her purse off the counter. “Be good.” She says to me as she kisses the side of my head and walks out the door. 

Once my mother is gone I take Alex’s hand and wordlessly lead her up to my room. I drop Alex’s bag off right inside of my door and pull Alex down onto my bed and wrap my arms around her. She tucks her head into my neck and puts her hand in her recently decided place of comfort, under my shirt right along the underside of my ribs. 

“I’m sorry. I know it makes you sad thinking about your parents.” 

“It’s ok, she didn’t know.” Alex says into my neck. 

And so we sit there in silence for a good amount of time. I patiently wait for Alex to talk, knowing she needs quiet comfort, and run my fingers across her back continuously. She ends up tilting her head up and resting it on my chest after only a few more moments of silence.

“Hey.” She whispers to me.

“Hi.” I smirk back at her causing a smile to sneak on to her face. 

She leans forward and connects her lips to mine, and I gently kiss her back letting her set the pace. That is until she rolls on top of me, and nibbles at my lip teasingly. I drag both of my hands down her back and cup her butt, pulling her into me as I swipe my tongue slowly across her bottom lip. A soft sigh escapes from her mouth as my tongue slips inside and curls along the roof of her mouth. 

 

I roll over with both of my forearms placed on either side of Alex’s head so that I’m hovering above her, but roll my hips in so that they are pressed against her front. I drop my head and begin to place open-mouthed kisses along her neck that she had just extended for me. Both of her hands slip under my shirt and she drags her fingernails across my abs causing a shiver to course through my body and momentarily making me stop caressing her neck. Suddenly her movements become hurried and urgent and she starts to tear my shirt off of my body. 

“Alex.” I pull back and look at her. 

“Tobin please.” She begs. 

“Are you sure?” I ask hesitantly, not wanting to pressure her into anything. 

“Yes.” She breathes out heavily as she pulls me by neck back into a searing kiss and I send a silent prayer of thanks up to God for allowing this to finally happen. 

I help Alex rip off my shirt and remove hers just as quickly. My hands travel down her sides as I move back to her neck and bite lightly at her pulse point, triggering her to let out a breathy moan. I close my eyes as I feel heat pool below my stomach at the sound of her excitement. My right hand gently slips under her bra, cupping her breast as she arches her back into my hand. I pull away from my ministrations of Alex’s neck and see that her normal cobalt eyes have turned into a shade of indigo due to desire as I slowly begin to strip off her sports bra. 

“Tobin! Come help get the groceries!” My mom suddenly calls out from the bottom of the stairs. 

“You have got to be kidding me.” I pant out as I look at Alex in disbelief. 

“Ughh.” She breathes out as her head falls back onto the pillow, her chest heaving. 

“Mmmm.” I groan out and my head drops onto her shoulder. 

“Let’s go before your mom comes investigating for us.” She says as she begins to push me off of her. I sigh as I roll off of her and search for my shirt that I had thrown onto the ground. 

Alex begins to walk past me to the stairwell but I hurriedly run past her, slap her butt, and slide down the bannister before Alex can respond. 

“Tobin how many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?” My mother sighs as she walks by with grocery bags in her hand. “Thank God you have more sense then her Alex!” My mom calls out from the kitchen as Alex and I journey outside to gather the rest of the groceries.   
“Tobin it seems like your mom likes me more then you.” Alex comments as she grabs a bag out of the car. 

“Please.” I snort. “She’s just teasing me because she’s happy I finally brought a girl home. I think she thought that I was going to be single for life.” 

“Well thankfully you’re not anymore.” Alex says kissing me on my cheek before skipping back off into the house with me trailing behind her. 

For the next hour my mom, Alex, and I cook amongst each other while talking the whole time. My mom, although since meeting Alex a few weeks ago had done a little bit of research, asks Alex questions about Hollywood and her life in California. Soon we’re sitting down at the table, our plates loaded with macaroni and cheese, chicken, and fresh out of the oven beer bread. I’m about to dig into my food when I glance over at Alex and watch as she slowly puts a forkful of macaroni in her mouth. She closes her eyes, and places her fork down before putting her hand over her mouth. I’m about to whisper something to Alex when my mother notices her behavior. 

“Oh Alex I’m sorry! Is it not good? I can go get us something if you’d like.” My mother says as she sees Alex’s eyes tear up and her head shake. 

“No it-its just… it taste exactly like my moms.” Alex chokes out quietly and I see a tear drop onto the wooden table. “Um please excuse me.” She gets out before walking quickly out the door before either my mom or I can respond. My mom looks over at me with a horrified look on her face. 

“Tobin what…?” 

“I’ll explain later mom.” I say as I stand, gather both Alex and I’s plate and walk out the door. 

I find Alex sitting on the swing around the corner of the house, Dig sitting by her feet. I sit down in the grass next to her, and wait again for her to be ready to talk. It’s only a few more minutes of her sniffling, until she slides off of the swing and sits next to me. 

“I’m sorry. I-I don’t know what’s gotten into me the past day.” Alex blubbers out. I put our plates on the now abandoned swing and put my arms around Alex, pulling her into me. 

“You don’t have to apologize for missing your mom Alex.” I say to her and her faces scrunches up as she tries to control her emotions. 

“I just miss her so much.” She sobs out and tightens her hold on me. 

“I’m sorry Alex.” I say kissing the side of her head. Dig makes her way over to Alex and lays down, putting her head in Alex’s lap. This gets a small watery chortle out of Alex as she pets Dig’s head. Once I feel like Alex has calmed down, I silently reach behind her and grab her plate before putting it in the hand that isn’t petting Dig. 

“You should eat, I promise that it’s good and you won’t be poisoned.” I say to her, and manage to drag out another chuckle. 

“I know. My mom made the best mac and cheese.” She says wiping her nose with the back of her hand before taking a bite of the mac and cheese again. She pauses before basically inhaling the rest of the food on her plate, and I lean back, grab my plate and put in on top of the basically spotless dish in Alex’s lap. 

“Tobin I’m no-“

“Alex there is plenty more food in the kitchen for me. My mom makes 4 times as much food when I come home. Please eat.” I say to her and she soon is inhaling almost the entire second plate. 

When she’s done, she leans up against me, rubbing her eyes, and stifling a yawn. 

“Are you sure you didn’t put something in that mac and cheese? I got tired out of nowhere.” She says through yet another yawn. 

“No I didn’t.” I chuckle. “But you’ve had an exhausting few days. C’mon.” I say standing and grabbing her hand. 

“Where are we going?” 

“You are going to bed.”

“But To-“

“Uh uh, no buts. Trust me you’ll thank me tomorrow.” I say leading her up the stairs and into my room. 

I tuck Alex into bed and rub the top of her head gently, which causes Alex’s eyelids to start drooping. 

“Goodnight Lex.” I whisper to her when I know that she is asleep before placing a kiss on her head. 

I make my way into the kitchen for food, and am not surprised when my mom is sitting on her stool waiting for me. She waits until I have loaded food onto my plate before starting her questioning. 

“Tobin what was that?” My mother asks in a concerned tone. I swallow past the large forkful of macaroni I had just put in my mouth and begin explaining why Alex responded the way she did, which led into why Alex and I were here for the weekend. 

“My God. That poor girl.” She whispers out with the saddest look on her face as she looks to the place Alex had been sitting at during dinner. 

“Yeah she’s… she’s had a really hard couple of months.” I say biting my lip and shaking my head as I think of what Alex has been through in the past year. When anyone’s parents died it takes its toll. Alex had to put on a brave face for the public while microphones and cameras were constantly being put in her face, asking for her reaction to her parent’s death. All while still filming a movie! The stress that must have on a person is one I don’t want to experience. 

Suddenly I hear the scraping of wood against the stone floor as my mom gets off her stool and pulls me into a tight hug. 

“We’re going to take care of her. You and me. Ok?” My mom says into my hair and I bury myself further into her embrace, nodding my head. 

“Ok.”


	32. Puppy Dog Eyes

My eyes open of their own accord, and I blink the sleep out of them as I glance at my watch. 5:56. God why am I up? I look to my left where Alex is curled into my side, and decide that I really didn’t need to do my run this morning. I lay there, gazing at how peaceful Alex looks as she sleeps, until nature called and I slowly crawled out of bed so as not to wake Alex from her slumber. I kiss Alex softly on her forehead and sneak out of my bedroom on my tiptoes, Dig following me quietly down the stairs. I let Dig out the front door where she jumps off the porch, chasing after the unsuspecting squirrels, before making my way into the kitchen. 

I’m met with the sight of my Mom drinking her coffee on the same stool she had been sitting on for as long as I can remember, with my computer open in front of her. 

“Not to be mean or anything, but why are you on my computer?” I ask through a yawn as I go to fix myself a cup of hot tea. Coffee really isn’t my thing, I only drink it when I’m strung out or really tired. 

“Just doing some early morning reading.” She says staring at the screen intently as she takes a sip of her coffee, squinting through her reading glasses. I step around the corner and peer over her shoulder at what she is reading and smack her gently across the back. 

“Mom! Why are you stalking Alex!” I hiss quietly as I look to the hallway to make sure Alex hadn’t woken up.

“I’m not stalking her Tobin.” She says as if it’s the most obvious thing. “I’m just finding out more about the girl that took my baby’s heart.”

“Mommmmmm.” I groan out rolling my eyes as I go to fix my now ready tea. 

“What? It’s the truth! I knew it the day you dropped by on your way to the lake house. I mean you look at her the way Dig looks at you-

“I do not give her puppy dog eyes.” 

“Whatever you say.” My mom says with her hands raised in surrender before closing my laptop and beginning to move around the kitchen. 

My mom and I converse in murmurs so as not to wake Alex, while she makes breakfast. My mom has just placed a plate down in front of me when Alex comes into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Dig following after her. 

“Good morning!” I greet her happily. 

“Good morning.” She smiles, sitting down next to me. I push the plate in front of me towards Alex and wink at her before standing to make her some coffee. 

“Alex how did you sleep?” My mom asks. 

“I slept great, thank you for asking Mrs. Heath.” Alex says as she takes a bite of scrambled eggs. 

“Oh Tobin I forgot to ask you earlier, I need your help in the garden today. The green beans are over running, the potatoes need to be dug up, and the satsumas and pears need to be picked so I can jelly and store them.” My mom says, sliding another plate full of food in front of me. 

“Mom you know I love the garden but I just wanted to bring Alex here so we could relax an-

“No Tobin I want to!”

“Alex are you sure? I mean we really don-“

“No I want to help. Plus I think some fresh air and sunshine will do me good.” She says putting her hand on my arm causing me to nod my head. 

“Ok then, go get dressed so we can start early so it’s not super hot while we’re out there.” I say kissing Alex’s forehead and taking her empty plate. Alex smiles widely at me before skipping out of the room and up the stairs. I didn’t realize I was still looking at the place Alex had disappeared until I heard a throat clear behind me. 

I turn around and see my mom regarding me with a smug expression on her face. I give her a confused look and she glances down at Dig, who is staring at me with puppy dog eyes, squints back up at me, and then looking at where Alex had just left before raising her eyebrow at me. 

“Whatever.” I say rolling my eyes and bringing Alex and I’s plate to the sink.

“Puppy dog eyes are cute baby.” My mom kisses my cheek. 

“Mommmmmm!” 

………

“Ok Alex honey, all the satsumas can go into these baskets.” My mom instructs Alex in front of the large satusuma trees that host several hundred fruit. “All you have to do is cut the stem with the clippers and place it into the basket.” She says patting Alex’s head before walking over and starting the tedious task of picking green beans. 

I’m already covered in a light sheen of sweat and dirt from digging up the huge area of potatoes. 

“Mom how many potatoes did you plant this year?” I huff out as I wipe away the sweat on my forehead. 

“I might have expanded it to 200 square feet.” My mom says lightly. 

“Mom what are you going to do with double the amount of potatoes?!” I ask in disbelief, dropping my spading fork. 

“Well the Montgomery’s are going through a rough time right now and there can never be enough potatoes in the world.” She says as she drops beans into her bucket. 

“Yeah Tobin, what’s wrong with a little bit more potatoes?” Alex teases me and I throw dirt at her in response. 

The next two hours my mom and Alex talk, joke, and laugh, sometimes at my expense, but I didn’t mind because it made me happy to see Alex relaxed and enjoying herself. By the end of the two hours, two 5 gallon buckets of green beans, 2 baskets of satsumas, 1 basket of pears, and several dozen burlap sacks of potatoes are piled up in our now cramped kitchen. 

“Oh my goodness. Do you know how many hash browns and French fries I can make out of all of these potatoes??” My mom says with a happy expression on her face. 

“Her homemade fries are actually pretty good. Probably even worth the two hours of digging all of those suckers up.” I tell Alex.

“Why don’t you girls get cleaned up while I make some burgers and my homemade shoestring fries.” My mom says basically shooing Alex and I out of the kitchen, leaving her alone with the thousands of fruit and vegetables that we had just picked. 

I scoop Alex up and over my shoulder, causing her to shriek in surprise and joy, and run up the stairs with her slapping my butt. I set her down gently and give her a quick kiss before moving to my drawers to grab some clothes to change into. 

“I’m going to shower downstairs so that you can just shower in here.” I say to Alex and place another kiss on her lips and make my way down the stairs. 

I shower quickly, scrubbing off all the dirt that had accumulated on my body from digging up potatoes. I get dressed and run up the stairs, hopping onto my bed as I wait for Alex to get out of the shower. I reach over for the new surfing magazine my mom had picked up for me at the store the other day. I’m so consumed checking out the hottest surfing spots in Australia right now that I don’t hear the shower stop. 

“Tobin.” 

“Yeah babe?” I ask not looking up from my magazine. 

“Tobin.”

“Hmm.” I say looking up and immediately forgetting about the magazine in front of me as my jaw literally drops.

Alex was standing in front of me with just a tiny white towel covering her body. Her wet hair was thrown over one shoulder and I could see drops of water tracking its way down her chest and disappearing under her towel. 

“Um hey Alex.” I manage to get out as I watch her damp tan legs make their way towards me. 

“Hey.” She says softly with a smirk on her face. 

I bite my lip and reach out to bring Alex closer but she steps away with a teasing sexy look on her face. 

I stick out my bottom lip in a pout as I go to reach for her again, but yet again she avoids my grasp. 

“Alexxx.” I whine out and she just chuckles at me before pushing me until I’m leaning back on the bed on my elbows. 

“Just relax.” She says, right before dropping her towel, revealing her entire naked self to me. 

I am anything but relaxed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking you guys MIGHT like the next chapter. Heavy emphasis on might.


	33. Woh

“A-Alex.” I shakily whisper out as I stare at her naked form in awe. 

Alex doesn’t respond but moves until she is straddling my waist and running her hands over my heaving chest. She leans forward and places an almost nonexistent kiss on my parted lips. At the feeling of Alex’s lips on mine, it drags me out of my dumbfounded state and my hands travel up Alex’s bare thighs until my hands are splayed across her butt and yank her towards me while slamming my lips to hers. I feel her smirk, but it disappears almost immediately, causing me to have one of my own, when a moan makes its way from deep in her throat as I bite her bottom lip. 

I pull her further into me, rolling with the momentum it brings, allowing me to pin Alex to the bed. I lean back, only far enough so that my eyes can travel across Alex’s body as my hands roam down her sides softly, causing Alex to quiver. My eyes rise back up to meet Alex’s, and I see her looking up at me through hooded eyes. I bite my lips as I bring my hands to her breast, lightly brushing against the swell of them. I glance up at Alex again, her eyes are even darker then before, and she arches her back, making my hands come in contact with her already erect nipples. 

Before I can stop myself, I’m leaning over and taking one of Alex’s nipples into my mouth, rolling the sensitive bud between my tongue and teeth gently, triggering a sharp intake of breath from the gorgeous women above me. I lavishly attend to her breast with my hands running up and down her sides, while her hands are in my hair, holding me close to her. 

I drag myself away from her breast and move to attack her mouth. My tongue slips in with practiced ease as I stroke the roof of her mouth with my tongue. Alex sighs as I start kissing my way across her jawline, nipping every once in a while, and onto her neck. I can feel her pulse racing under my lips, and I’m sure my heartbeat is just as frantic if not more then hers. I raise my lips up to her ear and kiss below her lobe before moving up a little bit. 

“You are so beautiful.” I whisper to her as I use my tongue to outline the shell of her ear. Alex’s hands are restless, moving from my face, to my hair, under my shirt along my stomach and back, finally growing impatient of the barrier between us, she basically rips off my shirt which is closely followed by my bra. I moan softly as I lower myself onto her, causing our erect nipples to touch. I hold Alex’s face with one of my hands as crash my lips to hers once more, not stopping until Alex has to pull away to breathe. But even then I don’t stop, I move to her neck, sucking and nipping as my hips begin to roll against Alex’s. 

I make my way slowly down her body, kissing every inch of skin I can until I am at her prominent hipbone. I look up at Alex through my eyelashes, and see that her chest is heaving, and she’s biting her lip as she looks down at me. And suddenly, I can’t take it anymore. 

“Can I? Please. I need to taste you.” I croak out, practically shaking with desire. A surprised but soft expression comes over Alex’s face and she places both hands on either side of my face, dragging me back up towards hers. A sinking feeling of disappointment rolls through my entire body. Maybe I was rushing this, maybe she realized she didn’t want this from me, maybe-

“Nobody has ever asked me permission before.” She says to me once I am hovering over her. Even in my desired state a frown crosses my face, and seeing it Alex runs her fingers across my forehead until they have disappeared. 

“Thank you for asking.” She rasps out smiling brightly at me, causing elation to once again course through me. 

“So can I?” I ask hesitantly. 

“On one condition.”

“Anything.” I say quickly and Alex chuckles at me before hooking her fingers into my shorts. 

“These have to go.”

I jump up, to strip off my shorts, but pause, walking over to the door, closing it, and locking it before stripping off my shorts and underwear. 

“Damn.” Alex says as she gazes over my body. 

I slowly lower myself onto her again, my hands rubbing her thighs that are on either side of me. I begin to kiss everywhere but the place Alex wants me to, and her hips rise up with need as I once again skim over the place where she was dying to be touched. 

“Tobin please.” She pleads. 

I run my tongue through her folds, and honestly I couldn’t tell you who moaned first. 

“My god you are so sweet.” I manage to mumble prior to stroking her again with my tongue, causing Alex’s hands to fly down to my hair, holding me in place. 

I lick her thoroughly, which causes Alex’s entire body to wiggle, before I stiffen my tongue and drive it into her core. The sound that escapes from Alex’s mouth makes me moan against her, moving my tongue deeper into her core and rotating it. Alex groans loudly and I stop my ministrations, moving up her body until I’m hovering once again over her. I look down at her flushed cheeks, the way her lips are parted and panting with desire, and at how incredibly dark her eyes are and know right then and there, that I had never seen anyone so beautiful in all my life. 

“You have to be quiet. My mom is right downstairs.” I whisper to her as I run a finger through her folds and slowly entering her. 

“Jesus Tobin.” She whimpers quietly as her eyes roll to the back of her head and her hips rise up to meet my gentle thrusts. 

I slowly increase the tempo, and soon Alex is biting her lip and dragging her nails down my back in pure pleasure. I hiss at the slight sting it brings but it only heightens my desire and I begin to curl my fingers rhythmically. Alex’s head is thrashing and rolling on the pillows below her and her hips are thrusting at the same fast pace as my fingers.

“Fuck. Fuck Tobin. I’m coming.” Alex breathes out and I keep up the same pace, leaning forward and capturing Alex’s lips in mine. Alex’s hips suddenly stop thrusting and her back arches as I swallow the guttural moan that Alex releases while still slowly pumping my fingers into her, helping her ride out her orgasm. Alex shudders as I finally pull my fingers from her, and she collapses against the bed in utter bliss and exhaustion. 

Alex opens her eyes after a few more moments, and sees me suspended over her. She reaches out and runs her hand down my back until it rests on my butt. I am so incredibly turned on right now that I can’t help it when my body starts to shake with the need for Alex to touch me where I needed it the most. 

“Lay down.” Alex says and I know she must see the intense desire in my eyes. 

I do as she orders, and lays up against the pillows, chest rising and falling quickly in anticipation. Alex hesitates before making her way towards me. She hesitates once again and looks down at her hand that is resting on my hipbone. Realization hits me and I sit up taking Alex’s hands in mine. 

“Alex you don’t have to do this if you aren’t comfortable or don’t want to.” I say sincerely although I knew I would have to take another shower, preferably a cold one. 

“Its not that. I want to. It’s just, I’ve-I’ve never done this before I just want you to have as much pleasure as what you just gave me.” Alex mumbles as she pushes back a piece of hair that had fallen in my face. 

“Alex.” I call out gently to gather her attention. “Trust me when I say that it would be almost impossible for me not to like what you want to do to me. Fuck Alex, you have me so turned on I thought I was going to come when you did.” I say to her and her head pops up to look at me questionably. 

“Really?” She asks softly. 

“Really really.” I smirk at her. “So just trust me when I say that I know that whatever you do to me, I will love.” I say to her honestly. 

With this statement, Alex seems to gain considerable confidence because she is suddenly leaning over me, pulling at my earlobe with her teeth as she enters into me smoothly. My eyes go wide, and I can’t even make a sound other then gasping for breath. Alex starts to move her hand inside of me, and this time it does elicit a deep moan from me. Alex lifts her head and lowers it so that our foreheads are resting against one another, staring into each others desire filled eyes, as my hips begin to match Alex’s pace. It takes an embarrassingly short amount of time before I can feel the edge of my orgasm creeping up on me, and Alex realizing this from the small gasps and whimpers escaping from my mouth, begins to curl her fingers in the same way I had done to her. 

I bring my hand around Alex’s neck, slamming her lips to mine, as I feel my form start to shake from the orgasm that is about to rip through what feels like my entire body. I come as quietly as I can possibly manage, but a rather large groan still escapes, but is smothered with Alex’s lips. Alex collapses on top of me, not even bothering to roll off of me, and both of us are panting as we try to catch our breath. 

“Woh.” I murmer out, eyes still closed. 

“Woh indeed.” Alex replies from her spot in my neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you guys have been super patient with this story, and I hope you guys are enjoying it as much as me! I know this took wayyyy longer then you thought it would but I wanted this story to be a realistic time line you know? Like what happens in a normal relationship with two people who have just met. 
> 
> Anyways, how did we like this chapter? Yay or Nay??


	34. SURPRISE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy! Let me know what you think is going to be happening over the next few chapters! If you guess it right I'll post a chapter tomorrow!

I close my eyes as I try to control my breathing, and soak in the feeling of Alex lying on top of me. A few moments of silence go by before Alex suddenly lifts her chin and lays it on my chest. She stares at me with squinted eyes, and I look back at her with a confused expression on my face. 

“Come to California with me.” Alex whispers. 

“What?” I ask in slight surprise. 

“I have to go back to LA for Thanksgiving break, and I want you to come with me.” Alex says simply. 

“You want me to go to Cali? With you?” I repeat in surprise. 

“Yeah, think of it as an early birthday present.” Alex says shrugging her shoulders. 

I roll over, my face inches away from Alex’s, before my face breaks out into the largest smile and I start nodding my head so enthusiastically I must look like an idiot. Alex laughs happily and slides one of her hands behind my neck, pulling me into a searing kiss. 

Alex pulls away, and as we smile stupidly at one another, I can feel my throat closing up and my chest tightening. My heart rate spikes as I can feel the three words I want to say most in this moment getting stuck in the back of my throat. 

“Tobin! Alex! Burgers are ready!” My Mom calls from the kitchen, and just like that Alex is hopping off of me to put on her clothes, and those three small but infinitely large words die in my throat, unuttered. 

 

\----

A few weeks later, Alex and I are chilling in the airport because we are supposed to be boarding our plane in a an hour. I’m playing a doodle jump on Alex’s phone when suddenly Alex’s phone starts ringing in my hand and instantly dump it into her lap. I had made the unfortunate mistake of answering Alex’s phone once, and somehow had ended up canceling her interview with Jimmy Fallon over Thanksgiving break. Thankfully, no pun intended, Alex easily informed them that her cancellation was a simple mistake. 

I sit quietly next to Alex as she hums an affirmative several times. Alex ends the call by thanking whoever is on the other end of the line and exhales a long sigh. 

“You ok? Who was that?” I ask curiously as she continues to stare at her phone in her hand. 

Alex launches herself into my arms, throwing her arms around my neck, almost causing me to spill hot tea everywhere. 

“Alex?” I ask now slightly worried. 

“He got 7 years.” She whispers in my ear. I immediately put my tea on the table that is luckily right next to me and pull her into a tight hug. Alex had hired the best lawyer in the business and had a discreet meeting with just herself, her lawyer, the offender and his lawyer, along with Ann and I as witnesses. I know for a fact Alex hadn’t been sleeping that well, because I wake up in the middle of the night with Alex sweating and shaking next to me. 

Alex must see what I see, several boys coming towards us with phones in their hands, and quickly pulls away from our rather intimate hug. 

“You’re Alex Morgan right?” One of the boys stutters out. Alex smiles sweetly before nodding her head and taking pictures with the star struck boys. 

“I swear one of the boys almost passed out when you put your arm around him.” I chuckle once we start walking towards our gate. 

“Stopppp. Wouldn’t you be nervous if you met someone famous??” She asks and at this I roll my entire head before staring at her with one eyebrow raised. 

“Ok that doesn’t count. You didn’t know who I was.” She says with a finger raised as she gives both of our tickets to the attendant at the gate. 

“Yeah but I’m still not nervous when I’m with you.” I say, looking around to make sure no one was paying attention before popping Alex on one of her butt cheeks. 

She lets out a yelp and spins around to me, trying to give me a disappointed look, but fails miserably as she breaks out into a smile. 

“Shit Alex.” I say when I lay eyes on the aircraft that we will be boarding. “You didn’t tell me we were taking a freaking jet!” 

“Yeah well it’s either that, or be heckled for 4 hours by people.” She explains as we climb the steps into the jet. 

My eyes widen instantly when I see how luxurious the space inside the jet is. On one side there is a couch that stretches the length of the room, which is about 15 feet, on the other side are several leather chairs with side tables, and the back of the plane has a miniature bar along the back wall and what looks like a door leading to another room. 

“I’m going to have to start flying with you more often.” I jokingly murmur and Alex laughs along with me. 

“Hmm I wonder what could possibly entertain us for the next 4 hours.” I say suggestively as the door of the jet closes, and I walk up to her putting my arms around her. 

“I can only imagine, but To-“ Alex begins but then a rather large thump erupts from the back of the jet and I look at it curiously. 

“Ow shit!” Someone suddenly shouts and from a tiny room, tangled arms and limbs fall out onto the floor.

“Guys?! What are you doing here?!” I exclaim as I see Kelley, Ash, Pinoe, and Kling detangle from one another and start to get to their feet. 

“SURPRISE!” Kling shouts as she tries to keep her balance, but it ends up falling over when Pinoe uses her already unbalanced form to pull herself up and winds up sprawled on the couch. 

“Wh-what why how when did this happen?!” I say flustered as I look around, realizing everyone was in on this plan but me. Alex lays a hand on my shoulder and I turn to face her beaming face. 

“I might have gotten you guys an audition with Warner Bros.” Alex says, now twisting her hands nervously together as she stares at me. 

I turn around and look behind me to see the girls barely holding in their excitement, especially Kling, who seems to be vibrating in her seat as she holds back a grin by biting her lips. 

“Are you serious?” I ask Alex in a low voice, who in turns nods her head. 

I abruptly pick Alex up in my arms and spin her around in the small space as she laughs at my joy, and soon the girls are hopping on top of me, screaming in excitement. 

We eventually have to let go of one another and buckle up as the jet is about to take off, but as soon as we’re at cruising level, we gather together to decide on what song to sing. 

“What about Sunday Morning? That’s a crowd favorite.” Pinoe says with a shrug of her shoulders. 

“Or Free Fallin’. That one is popular too.” Ash chimes in. 

“Wha-“

“Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.” Alex interrupts us all, causing us to turn to her curiously. 

“Why that one?” I ask her softly. 

“You all put so much emotion in to that song, it’s absolutely amazing, and I feel like no one in their right mind would turn you down if you played that one.” Alex says simply. 

“I concur.” Kling says after a moment of silence. “We need to wow these people, and to be honest Tobin, your guitar skills are out of this world.” 

“Ok.” I say scratching the back of my neck before panic seizes me. “WAIT! Guys I only packed my acoustic guitar-“

“We packed it, don’t worry.” Kelley says with a flick of her wrist and my racing heart settles down. 

“Ok ok. Well um, do you want to decide on our second song? I mean if they ask for one.” I say. 

“If they ask for another, why don’t we just run through that playlist? But just move Slow Dancing in a Burning room to the front? You know just go with something natural and what we are used to so we don’t get nervous.” Pinoe suggests and we all nod our head in agreement. 

With that settled, everyone relaxes and takes in the luxury that the jet has to offer. Pinoe and Kelley immediately check out the small bar, Kling reclines in the chair, and Ashlyn lies down on the couch with her arms behind her head. Alex takes my hand and begins leading me towards the back of the plane. She opens the door and as she is pulling me in, Ashlyn shoots a wink my way. I look around and quickly notice that it is simply a room with a bed. 

I turn to Alex, and notice the twinkle that’s in her bright blue eyes. With a smirk on my face, I basically through a shrieking Alex onto the bed, and crawl my way up her body until I’m hovering above her face. 

“Thank you Alex.” I say as I gently cup her face in my hand. 

“You’re welcome.” She says softly, pulling me in for a kiss. 

“Let me show you my immense gratitude.” I say with a twinkle in my eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are we thinking?? Hit me up on my tumblr WolfgangRythem if you have any questions you want me to answer!


	35. A Beautiful Relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Talleymoe for making me laugh at my own ceiling. You all guessed things that will partially be happening in the next few chapters. This one is a build up for what is to come! Hope you guys enjoy!

“Holy.”

“Fucking.”

“Shit.” Kelley, Pinoe, and Kling exclaim when we reach Alex’s house. 

My eyes widen as I silently take in the outrageous house that we are parked in front of. This thing wasn’t a house, it was a mansion. Several stories high, with a large sprawling green yard in front, a gate with a security booth, and that’s all that we could see from the front. Oh and did I mention it was on the beach? Yeah. Her house is on the beach. In Los Angeles. 

Our cab driver pulls in to the driveway after Alex confirmed with her security guard that it was her, and as soon as the car came to a slow roll, Kling, Pinoe, and Kelley threw open the door and went running up to the house. Alex chuckles lightly at them and pulls me by my hand out the door, Ashlyn following us. 

She pays the cab driver, and gives him a large tip to bring our bags up to the front door, and he does so eagerly. Alex unlocks her front door by plugging in a six digit code, and with a pop of the lock, and a beep from the security system, Ashlyn and I are walking in to the most fabulous house either of us had ever stepped foot in. 

A huge lounge is the first room that greets us, but what really grabs my attention, along with Ashlyn’s I assume, is the view that the lounge provides. A fifty-foot long and twenty-foot high wall of glass, overlooking the ocean takes up our entire attention. I look backwards at Ashlyn who seems to be overwhelmed with the amount of wealth that surrounds us. I hadn’t grown up rich, but thanks to my grandparents leaving a large sum of money when they had passed away early on in life, my mom and I had lived a comfortable life. Ash’s family on the other hand, had to constantly struggle to pay rent and put food on the table, due to both of her parents being alcoholics and not truly caring about the upbringing of their kids. I watch as she runs her hands on the furniture so lightly it seemed like she thought that if she maybe touched it too much, it would somehow break or become ruined. She looks around the room, gulping in awe, before her eyes land on me, and she shakes her head in disbelief that someone she knew could actually own something like this. 

I look back at Alex, and for some reason she looks nervous, as if she were afraid of us judging her. I smile brightly at her, which in turn causes her to smile back at me. Something catches the corner of my eye, and I glance past Alex’s head to see Kelley, Pinoe and Kling running past the infinity pool to what looks like a small cliff overlooking the beach below it. I grab Alex’s hand and Ashlyn’s in my other, dragging them through the door to join the other girls on the hill. Once there, I pull Alex in front of me, my arms wrap around waist and I rest my head on her shoulder. I feel a weight on my own shoulders, and look over to see Ashlyn’s arm draped over mine, a huge smile on her face. I scan the rest of the girl’s faces, and see pure unadulterated joy on their faces. Yep, this is going to be the best Thanksgiving break ever. 

\----

“Alex where did you say we were going again?” I ask as we walk down a rather busy street. 

“We’re just going to a bar that a couple of my friends rented out and are hosting a party at.” She informs us. 

“Sweet. Thank god I wore these shoes. I’m gonna tear up that dance floor.” Pinoe says before breaking out into an outrageous dance while walking. 

“Pinoe. You should let me be representing the dance moves from Louisiana, no one wants to be hit by one of your gangly limbs.” Kelley says. 

“Whatever you guys are just jealous of my moves.” She says with a roll of her eyes. 

“Alright children, let’s not fight in front of new people.” Kling states. 

“Here we are!” Alex declares. 

To our right, is an old brick building that looks abandoned besides a guy that is standing outside of the door. 

“Um Alex are you sure we’re at the right place?” I ask while looking at the building that looks nothing like a bar. 

“Yep!” She says walking up to the beefy guy standing by the door. 

“Alex Morgan and company.” She states matter of factly, and he turns around opening up the door, and suddenly, music is blaring out at us. 

Alex leads the way through the doorway, and I’m sure that every single one of our jaws, besides Alex, drop. Inside what looked like a ratty old building is an extremely modern bar with a huge dance floor sunken into the floor with steps leading to it and couches surrounding it, along with couches covering the rest of the wall space that isn’t taken up by the several bar stations that look to be organized by types of alcohol. 

“Wait!” I call out to Kelley and Pinoe who were about to take off for the bar. “Remember we have an audition tomorrow at 3. You guys can have a couple of drinks but I swear to god if you are hung-over in the morning I might personally kill you.” I glare at everyone. 

“Dude you don’t need to remind us. We know.” Pinoe says and Kelley nods her head before they continue on their path towards the bar. Ashlyn heads over to the bar that seems to serve whiskey. I watch Kling’s short form walking to what looks like the music station, I’m assuming to ask what type of system they use. 

I feel a hand on my arm and move with Alex as she drags me to the dance floor with a devious smile on her face. 

“Don’t you wanna say hi to your friends?” 

“They can wait five minutes. I really like this song and want to dance with you.” She says over her shoulder before pulling me into the crowded dance floor. 

It’s so packed, that I can’t move without touching the person next to me. Because of this, I figured it was ok to move my hands low on Alex’s waist and bring her closer as I breathe on the back of her neck. Alex reaches up, sliding her hands up my neck as she grinds her butt into my front. I pull her even closer to me and we sway and dance to the music and move with the groove of people surrounding us. By the time we leave the dance floor only a short 15 minutes later, we are covered in sweat, and I’m suddenly glad I decided to wear a white v-neck t-shirt. 

Alex leads me to the bar, where she orders a cranberry vodka and I get only a water. I don’t want to take the chance at all of my voice be messed up for tomorrow. 

“Alex fucking Morgan!!” Someone shouts from behind us and we both whirl around in time to see a dark mass hurling itself at Alex, who has just enough time to drop her drink on the bar and catch the form 

“Crystal!” Alex laughs out. 

“You didn’t tell me you would be back in town! I thought you weren’t coming back until Christmas!” The girl exclaims once she has climbed down off of Alex. 

“Yeah I came back for a few interviews and I brought my friends who are in a band along with my for an audition.” She says motioning to me and I give a small wave. 

“Hi! I’m Crystal!” She says holding out her hand to me, which I take immediately. 

“Tobin.” 

“Hey Crystal where is Allie at?” Alex yells over the blaring music. 

“She’s over in that corner on the couch talking with some guy.” Crystal points to the back right corner of the bar. 

“Alright thanks Crystal! I’ll catch up with you later!” Alex waves to Crystal before making her way over to back of the bar with me in tow. 

“Allieeeeeee.” Alex sings once we are close enough for the girl to hear us. 

The girl, Allie, spins around quickly and her eyes light up as soon as she sees Alex smiling down at her. 

“Alex!!” She screams and stands, gripping Alex in a death hug who is just laughing openly at Allie’s excitement. 

“When did you get here? Why are you here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home? How long are you here for?” Allie asks. The boy that was in the booth with her, rolls his eyes and walks away, once realizing Allie’s attention would no longer be on him. 

“Slow down Allie.” She says with a chuckle. “I came back for a few interviews and I brought my friends who are in a band along with my for an audition.” She says, repeating what she said to Crystal as she motions to me. 

Allie eyes run over me and suddenly I become self-conscious, so I stick both of my hands in my jean pockets, waiting for her to say something. 

“Is this Tobin?” Allie ask Alex, who turned a slight shade of pink. 

“Yes.” Alex answers. 

“You were right Al. She is super hot.” Allie says with a playful glint in her eye and Alex slightly flushed face is now flaming. 

“Allie!” Alex yells as she slaps her across the shoulder. I bust out in laughter at Alex’s embarrassment and so does Allie. 

“It’s nice to meet you Tobin.” She says sticking out her hand. 

“Ditto.” I say shaking it. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you ya know. I’ve heard you’re really good with your fingers.” Allie teases and my eyes widen and Alex looks like she’s going to pass out. “With a guitar that is.” She adds after a moments pause so that she could see our reaction. 

For the second time in only a few minutes, Allie has me laughing loudly at the expense of Alex’s embarrassment.

“Allie if you don’t stop right now we are leaving.” 

“Chill Alex, I personally think she’s pretty funny.” I say, shooting Allie a grin. 

“See Alex! Someone thinks my jokes are funny!” She says sticking her tongue out at me. 

“Why did I ever introduce the two of you?” Alex mutters as she runs her hand over her face. 

“Oh I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship! What about you Tobin?” Allie asks me. 

“For sure!” I say bumping Allies extended fist and laughing as Alex shakes her head at the pair of us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKKKKK so I might possibly maybe be getting out the next chapter (the band's audition) to you guys tonight. I don't know though! I hope you guys are enjoying this story as much as me! I think you guys are going to love what I have in store for the next few chapters!


	36. Ruby. Ruby Rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys sorry for not getting this out to you earlier! I went to my camp which has no wifi and just got back!!

“So I’m assuming that you told Allie about us.” I say through a mouthful of toothpaste as I brush my teeth the next morning. 

“Allie has been my best friend since I was 5. She knew something was up the first time I called her. So I told her.” Alex slowly says as she brushes her hair. 

“Are you ok with that?” She asks hesitantly, her arm holding the brush dropping. 

“Of course it’s ok with me. You can tell anyone you want to. We’re doing this at your pace.” I say, leaning in and giving her a minty kiss, causing a small smile to cross her face. 

“So are you nervous?” 

“Yeah a little bit.” I sigh.

“You’re going to do great.” She whispers in my ear as she rubs the tension out of my shoulders. 

“I’ll try my best.” I say with a smirk on my face as I turn to wrap my arms around her for a hug. 

“Hey I believe in you.” Alex says moving until both of her hands are gently cupping my face. I take in a deep breath and lean my forehead against hers, closing my eyes, trying to calm the nerves that are overwhelming my senses. 

\---

“Ok guys Ted told me we’re going to be in studio 8.” Alex says as we wonder down the hall with her. 

We had already sent our instruments and equipment to the studio yesterday, so by now they should have it set up. I can feel the nerves radiating off of the girls behind me as we amble our way down the hall until we come to a stop in front of a room with a large eight on the door. 

Alex knocks before sticking her head in and smiling instantly at the older man sitting in the chair messing with some controls. 

“Ted!” She exclaims, walking into the room and smothering him in a hug. 

“Hey Al!” He chuckles out as he hugs her back tightly. 

“And this must be the band you were telling me about.” He says once the hug is over with, and glances our way. 

“Yep. And you’re going to be blown away by them.” Alex says, smiling brilliantly back at us. “This is Tobin, Kelley, Ash, Kling, and Pinoe.” She introduces by pointing each one out. 

“Nice to meet you all.” He says shaking each of our hands vigorously. 

“Yeah Ted you wo- Oh I’m sorry my manager is calling me, excuse me.” Alex apologizes before slipping out of the room just as another figure slips in. 

“Is this who we’re checking out today Ted.” Someone with an accent says from behind me, and I whirl around to put a face to the voice. 

Once I have turned around, my eyes widen at the sight of the woman in front of me. The first thing that catches my eye is her short black hair that frames her angular face perfectly. My eyes roam over her face and notice that she is strikingly beautiful, and continue over her body, observing the tattoos that cover most of her arms. I glance back up and see that her own eyes are wandering up and down my body slowly. She picks her head up and a smirk crosses her face and I see that she has a sparkle in her eyes. She strides forward with an air of confidence that would put even Ashlyn’s swag to shame. 

“Ruby Rose.” She says sticking her hand out in front of me. 

“Tobin Heath.” I say taking it, noticing how soft it is, and she draws out the handshake for longer then it needs to be, as she looks me straight in the eye. 

“Megan Rapinoe.” Pinoe suddenly interrupts our eye contact and I shake my head out of the daze I was in as I drop her hand. She goes around shaking our hands, before going and standing next to Ted.

“Alright since we’ve all met now, how about we hear a few songs from you?” Ted asks with a clap of his hands. 

“Yeah yeah of course.” I say instantly and take one last look at Ruby who had a small smile on her face and make my way into the adjacent room.

We set everything up and I have my Fender Stratocaster guitar in my hand when I look up to see that Alex had reentered the room and was smiling at me. 

“Whenever you guys are ready.” Ted’s voice says over the intercom. 

I glance up at Alex again and she throws me two thumbs up before mouthing the words you’ve got this. I take a deep breath, adjust my shoulder strap, look back at the girls who are waiting for my cue, before turning back to the microphone and moving my hand to strum out the first note. 

\-----

Alex’s POV

I reenter the booth and see that Tobin and the other girls are about to start. I also notice another person in the room that wasn’t there before, and I have to do a double take because the girl messing with the controls is gorgeous. I look up and see Tobin looking at me nervously. I smile at her sending a thumbs up her way and she nods her head before closing her eyes and beginning to play her guitar. 

Like always when Tobin plays Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, the hairs on my arm and neck stick up as goose bumps cover my body. Tobin had only played a few notes and I look to the side to see Ted’s eyebrows raised and the other girl’s mouth agape. I feel a swell of pride fill my entire body as I watch Tobin get closer to the microphone to begin singing. 

The band had only gotten through a few lines of lyrics before Ted suddenly puts his hand on the intercom. 

“Woh woh stop. Hold up guys.” He says and all the girls look at one another nervously. Ted walks out the room without a word and I can see Tobin’s face, along with the others, fall with disappointment. Tobin starts to slowly take off guitar with a crestfallen expression when the girl next to me reaches for the intercom. 

“Oy! Don’t do that!” She says quickly in an Australian accent, and I notice that she is staring at only Tobin. 

“Well didn’t he leave? Isn’t he done listening to us?” Tobin asks hesitantly, slowing her process of taking off her guitar. 

“Well I don’t know babe, but I wouldn’t be leaving until I knew for sure.” She drawls out and I bristle up as I see the girl smiling at Tobin and Tobin blushing slightly. 

“I’m sorry we haven’t met, I’m Alex Morgan.” I say walking up to her. 

“Ruby. Ruby Rose.” She says, tearing her eyes away from Tobin as she quickly   
glances at me. 

“Where did Ted go?” I ask and she turns to me with a small sigh of annoyance. 

“Well if I had to guess sweetheart, he went to go get the big man.” She says sassily. I narrow my eyes slightly at her and she raises an eyebrow before turning back to the girls in the booth. 

“Just relax beauts. You’re not getting kicked out. At least not after that intro.” She smiles at the band, but once again I notice that she’s only looking at Tobin. 

I’m about to say something, when the door opening behind us interrupts me. 

“Alright Paul these are the guys I was telling you about.” Ted says as he leads in a man that looks to be in his fifties. 

“Let’s get this show on the road.” He says doing a circular motion with his finger, making it known for the band to start playing. 

The girls get settled, and Tobin takes a deep breath before beginning to play again. I watch as the older man observes and listens with a frown on his face while the other two are watching with an awed expression on their faces. Towards the end of the song, Tobin breaks out into her solo, with Kelley eventually joining in, and for the first time, I see surprise cross Paul’s face. The band plays the last few notes before finally stopping and look towards the booth with apprehension written over all of their faces, except Kling’s. Kling looked completely peaceful and confident of their skills. 

Ted and Ruby both turn in their seats to look up at Paul who is still standing with his arms crossed over his chest. He reaches out a hand, and pushes the intercom button. 

“Another.” He simply says before leaning back into his previous position. I see Ted and Ruby look excitedly at one another and turn their attention back to the band. I watch the girls quickly agree on a song and soon I’m hearing the familiar sounds of Sunday Morning washing over me. 

I watch as the band relaxes almost completely as they fall into a familiar rhythm and soon Tobin is smiling while singing like she usually does. I glance to my left and see Ted’s shoe bopping to the beat, Ruby tapping her fingers along with the lyrics, but Paul is still standing like a stone, watching the band with intense focus. 

“Do you have a slow song?” He asks as soon as the last piano key had been played. 

Tobin immediately nods before taking off her Stratocaster and picking up her acoustic guitar. Kelley and Kling follow suit, also picking up an acoustic guitar, and I know before even hearing a note what song they were going to play. I smile to myself, knowing I’m correct when I hear Tobin beginning to strum Free Fallin. 

About halfway through the song Paul moves forward and presses the button while waving his other hand. 

“Stop. I’ve heard enough.” He calls out and Kelley, Kling and Tobin instantly stop playing and look at each other nervously. 

“Ted where the hell did you say you found these girls?” He says whirling back to face Ted and Ruby. 

“I didn’t find them Paul, she did.” Ted says pointing to me. 

“Where did you find them?” He asks me once he has turned around. 

“I stumbled across them in a bar in New Orleans.” I say to him quickly as his striking blue eyes look over me. 

“You’re saying they are a bar band?” He questions me while sticking out a thumb towards the girls in the booth and I nod my head. He shakes his head and begins to chuckle. 

“Well Miss Morgan, you just stumbled across the find of a decade.” He says to me with a wide smile on his face, and once his words have sunk in, I’m smiling widely back at him. 

Before I can say anything, he turns around and signals for the girls to come out of the booth. They follow each other through the door one by one and stand grouped tightly together with nervous but hopeful expressions on their faces. 

“Why would you want a record deal?” Paul asks calmly. 

“We want people to enjoy our music as much as we do.” Tobin states just as steadily back. 

“Well that seems like a good enough reason. What do you guys think about having a Major label deal with Warner Bros. Records?” Paul asks with a smile on his face. 

It takes a moment, but I watch as the news gradually sinks in and their faces show absolute pure joy. Pinoe lets out a yelp and starts jumping up and down as the other girls start to whoop alongside her. I hear Paul behind me let out a chuckle at the girl’s elation. Suddenly we hear a large thump and everyone turns around to see Kling lying on the ground. 

“Yo guys, she passed out.” Pinoe says as she pokes at Kling’s still form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooo. What are we thinking????


	37. One Dance

“I can not believe I passed out.” Kling mumbles into her hands as we walk down the hall. 

“I guess that’s what happens to tiny people when they get excited.” Pinoe jokes as she ruffles Kling’s hair. 

“Hey! Watch the locks!” Kling shouts as she fixes her hair. 

“Alright ladies we have some business to discuss.” Paul says once we’ve reached his office. 

We walk in to Paul’s office that didn’t offer much of a view, but it did have some extremely cool musical artifacts. 

“Oh my god is this Jimi Hendrix’s guitar from the Purple Haze music video?!” I asked stunned as I look up at the guitar hanging up on the wall. 

“Yes it is. At that point in my life, I was just one of the crewmembers, but I was the crewmember that always took care of his guitars. So once I had enough money, I went back and bought the guitar I had cared for when he was alive and touring.” Paul says nostalgically. 

“This stuff is unbelievable.” Kling murmurs as she looks at all of the records on the wall. 

“I have built quite a collection.” Paul says before sitting down behind his desk and motioning for us to sit on the couch in front of him. 

“So now down to business. If I’m being honest, I think that you girls could be the biggest thing that has hit the music industry in the last decade.” He says with a small smile on his face. “Because of that, I would like to start recording as soon as possible. We could get you in on Monday to start recording the songs that I heard today, we’ll start with that. And th-“

“Woh hold on sir.” I say suddenly holding up my hand. “We are all in school at the moment.” Motioning to us all. 

“Well that’s just not going to work. You do know what I’m offering you don’t you? This will change you’re entire life.” He says leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms. 

“Sir, our semester ends in two weeks. That would give us enough time to pack up all our things, tell our family members, and not lose an entire semester’s worth of work.” I say nervously to him and look to the side to see the other girls nodding silently. Paul sighs while rubbing the back of his head. 

“Do you have any recordings of your songs?” 

“We actually don’t have recordings, but we have videos.” Kelley says from behind me. 

“What were they filmed with?” 

“Gopro 4.” Pinoe clarifies. 

“And you can actually hear all of the instruments and lyrics?”

“It’s very clear.” Kling chimes in from my left. 

“Well if that’s the case. I want all of you back by December 12th, ready to record. I won’t wait much longer then that. Here’s my card, I want you to send all of the clear videos you have to my personal email so that I can take a look at the rest of your songs.” Paul says standing up from behind his desk now. 

“Thank you sir. Thank you so much.” I say shaking his hand excitedly. 

“No need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you. You’re about to make this company a lot of money.” He says as he shakes the rest of the girls’ hands. 

“Now you’re going to be taken by my assistant Rose” He says gesturing to the woman who had just walked into the room. “and you’re going to go down to go down to management to officially sign your contract so no one else can scoop you up. Oh and welcome to Warner Bros. Records.” He says with a smile on his face and his hands out wide. 

\---

“Time to celebrate bitches!!” Pinoe screams as soon as we’re outside the building. Every single one of us are overflowing with excitement and happiness, and we all agree, eager to celebrate something so big. 

“Yeah w-“

“Tobin!” Someone calls out to me and I stop what I’m saying to turn around and see who it is. My eyebrows rise in surprise when I see it’s Ruby striding towards me with something in her hand. 

“You forgot this.” She says holding out my hat to me. My hands instantly go to my head, and realize that I did indeed forget my hat in the recording studio.

“Oh man! You’re a lifesaver! Thanks Ruby!” I say reaching forward to take my hat and placing it on top of my head. 

“No problem. Couldn’t let our newest deal walk out without her hat.” She says to me, running a hand lightly down my arm. I gulp at the sensation as goose bumps erupt down my arm. I continue to stare at Ruby as a smile starts to cross her face, but break out of my daze when I hear someone clear their throat from behind me. I look over my shoulder and see that Alex is glaring daggers at Ruby who is now is eyeing Alex challengingly. 

“Yeah we were just talking about celebrating tonight! You should come!” Kling states obliviously. 

“I would love to.” Ruby responds, her eyes lighting up. “I know this great place, it’s called 1 Oak. Really awesome if you love to dance” She says and turns looking me up and down. “or if you want to sit on some couches and enjoy the scenery.” She says with a shrug of her shoulders. 

“That sounds pretty cool to me.” Ashlyn says and soon the other girls are nodding their head in agreement. 

“Fantastic. I’ll see you guys there. See ya at 11.” She says and winks at me before walking away. Kelley whistles low as soon as Ruby is out of earshot. 

“Damn Tobs. I thought she was going to jump you right here.” Kelley chuckles out but stops when she sees Alex spin around and stomp away in anger. 

I glare at Kelley who looks at me apologetically and run after Alex. I have to run an entire block until I finally catch up to Alex who looks angry enough to have steam pouring out of her ears. 

“Lex. Hey Lex hold up. Slow down. Alex!” I shout and move right in front of her, placing my hands on her shoulders. 

“Why are you so mad?!” 

“Are you serious Tobin?! That stupid Aussie girl was basically eye fucking you and you don’t expect me to be upset over that?!” Alex huffs out and I let out a little chuckle. 

“C’mon Alex. I don’t care what she thinks about me. If you honestly think that I’m interested in her over you, you’ve lost your mind. I would have to be delusional to give up you for her.” I say seriously. 

Alex still isn’t looking me in the eye so I grab her chin and direct her eyes to mine. 

“Hey, I’m serious Al. I’m yours and only yours.” I whisper to her and I finally see a small smile make its way across her face. She’s about to say something but she looks over my shoulder and takes a large step away from me and begins walking in the opposite direction. Hurt and a little confused, I glance over my own shoulder and see a photographer walking quickly in our direction. 

Jogging quickly up to Alex, who had just rounded a corner, and whistling at the cab who was coincidently driving right by us. Once it’s stopped I shove Alex into it and we’re off before the photographer had rounded the corner. I send a quick text to the girls telling them to meet us back at the house before turning my attention to Alex. 

“So am I forgiven for unintentionally being a chick magnet?” I manage to get out before Alex hits me across the shoulder. 

“Ow shit Lex, it was a joke.” I say rubbing my shoulder. 

“Now you’re forgiven.” She says smugly. 

\---

“Dude. Ruby was right this place is sick!” Pinoe shouts over the music that is blaring out of the club 1 Oak. 

“Let’s get fucked uppppppp!” Kelley yells before grabbing Pinoe’s hand and dragging her to the nearest bar. 

“Oy! Ladies!” Ruby calls out from a few feet away and our group, and a begrudging Alex, walk over to where she is relaxing against a couch surrounded by people. 

“Guys this is the band I was talking about. That’s Ashlyn, Kling, and Tobin who has an absolutely incredibly voice and the sexiest guitarist that you’ll ever meet. And then their friend Alex Morgan.” Ruby smiles brightly at me, but it dims when she sees Alex step closer to me. 

“Nice to meet you guys!” Everyone around the table echoes. 

“Hey! Can we get three shots of Patron for everyone around the table?” Ruby calls out to the waitress that is walking by. Only a few minutes later and the waitress is coming back with two trays completely packed with shot glasses. 

“Thanks Sophie, just add it to my tab.” She says as she hands out shots to everyone. Somehow she ends up right next to me and I can feel the hair standing up on my arm as Ruby brushes my arm on one side and Alex brushes my other. 

“To a great night and new friends!” Ruby toast with her shot up in the air. 

“To a great night and new friends!” Everyone, including Kelley and Pinoe who had shown up with their own alcohol, reiterates. Everyone takes the shots in quick succession, and while most people cringe at the burn of the tequila, I lick my lips at the familiar taste. I can’t help but notice out of the corner of my eye that Ruby also licks her lips. 

“Hey Tobin, Tony is calling me and he says it’s important. I’m going to be in the bathroom for 5 minutes.” Alex whispers into my ear, squeezing my hand subtly before walking off. I watch her go, biting my lip as I watch her hips sashay away from me. When I turn around I’m face to face with several more shots of Patron.

“I couldn’t help but notice that you enjoy the taste of Patron as much as me.” Ruby says holding up the tray of shots. 

“Yeahhhh I do love tequila. But not as much as rum.” I say as I take a shot in each hand.

“Wait name your favorite rum on 3. 1, 2, 3.” Ruby counts down. 

“Cruzan Single Barrel.” We say at the same time and then lean away from each other, both of our eyes wide. 

“No fucking way.” I laugh out. 

“Fuck Patron.” Ruby mumbles. “Sophie, hey Sophie! Bring us a bottle of Cruzan Single Barrel and two fresh shot glasses!” 

“Oh my god you are definitely my new best friend.” I say to her as Sophie brings us the bottle and shot glasses. 

“That is the plan.” She chuckles out while pouring a shot for each of us. 

We challenge each other to take a shot every minute for the next 7 minutes. We had argued that 5 was too little and 10 was too much. 10 minutes later, I can feel the alcohol pumping through my blood and my head beginning to become fuzzy. 

“Lets go dance beaut.” Ruby leans in and whispers invitingly to me. I hesitate for only a second, glancing down at her red lips, before leaning slightly away from her. 

“I-I can’t. I’m seeing someone.” I say, my eyes roaming over to Alex who was making her way towards me at the moment, but getting stuck talking to people. Ruby’s eyes follow my own and land on Alex before looking back at me. 

“Alex Morgan? No fucking way. You’ve got to be kidding me.” She says in skepticism and all I can do I stare at her. 

“Really?” Her head falls and she looks up at me in disbelief. 

“No one knows.” I tell her, allowing the alcohol to take over my senses and reveal the huge secret. 

“Well. You’re secret is safe with me.” She says before winking at me. “Now how about that dance?”

“But I ju-“

“So? We’ve got alcohol pumping through our system, we feel great, and all I want is a dance with the sexy girl sitting in front of me. It’s only a dance.” She adds after seeing my hesitation. 

I look to my right and see Alex still stuck in a conversation with several people before turning back to Ruby who is smiling softly at me. 

“One dance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soon we're starting to heat it up. Next chapter I think you guys are really going to like it! Also if you can guess what's going to happen in the next few chapters, I will 100% update tomorrow. So guess away!! 
> 
> On another note, is anyone going to the USWNT vs Costa Rica in Kansas City?? Because I just bought my ticket for it!! 
> 
> Anyways let me know what you think!


	38. No Touching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a guest did guess what this next chapter will be like, but my wifi was out last night and the guy just came by to fix it so I apologize for the wait!! 
> 
> @Talleymoe, Even though you deleted your comment (you know the one I'm talking about), I saw it in my emails. Thank you ;) 
> 
> Anyways hope you guys enjoy!

Alex’s POV

I let out a sigh of relief as I a finally able to escape from the group of people that had basically trapped me for the last 5 minutes. My eyes go to the couch where I last saw Tobin, but see that she is nowhere in sight. I glance around and see Kling talking with some guy so I walk over to question her. 

“Hey Kling have you seen Tobin?” 

“Uh yeah I think she’s dancing.” Kling responds and I roll my eyes at myself for not thinking of that sooner. Tobin loves dancing and is always out on the dance floor whether I want to dance or not. 

I make my way over to the railing so that I could comb through the crowd of people easily. It doesn’t take me long to find her, and when I do my blood begins to boil. She’s dancing with Ruby. I tell myself to calm down and actually assess the situation before barging in and making a scene.

They weren’t grinding on one another but they were less then a foot apart, but that could be because the dance floor is so packed. Ruby’s hands are constantly touching Tobin, but in the past few minutes I haven’t seen Tobin reciprocate those touches. A smile crosses my face when I realize its just some honest dancing on Tobin’s end. I’m about to make my way down when I see Tobin get bumped hard by someone squeezing their way through the crowd, forcing her to stumble closer to Ruby. Ruby puts a hand on Tobin’s chest, and now it looks as if they are only an inch apart. 

That’s it. I storm my way down the stairs and push through the drunken crowd of swaying people, trying to reach the pair. I see Tobin glance behind her, but she is still squashed into a box, unable to move. She scans around the room and when her eyes land on me, because I’m only a few feet away now, a huge smile crosses her face. I’m almost to them when Tobin turns to tell Ruby something and Ruby leans in quickly to connect their lips. 

I thought my blood was boiling before. I propel through the last few people out of the way and by that time Tobin has already broken the kiss and is looking at Ruby with wide eyes while shaking her head. 

“Ruby I told you.” I hear her say. Ruby is about to say something back, but before she can, I take a hold of Tobin’s wrist and drag her behind me. 

I drag her through the whole club and exit through a small side door that I know leads to an alleyway. I glance around to make sure no one is around before I shove Tobin up against the wall. 

“Babe I swear it was just a dan-“ Tobin begins but I cut her off as I slam my lips against hers. 

Tobin is caught by surprise, and pauses for less then a second before kissing me just as passionately. Her arms travel down to my butt, and squeezes it before pulling me closer to her. My hands run up and down her arms, and I marvel at how strong they are. Tobin quickly slips her tongue into my mouth and I melt against her. My god she is a good kisser. 

Tobin’s hands travel from my butt, to under my shirt, and begins to caress the skin on my lower back. I inhale at the feeling of Tobin’s hands on my skin, and intensify the already passionate kiss. Tobin leaves one hand on my lower back, but the other slides into my hair at the back of my neck, and she pulls me in kissing me urgently. I break the kiss, gasping for breath as I look at Tobin whose eyes have completely glazed over with desire. 

“Take me home.” 

“Gladly.” She growls out before pulling in for one more fervent kiss. We quickly, and I mean we’re almost running, make our way to the front of the club to hail down a taxi. 

We finally manage to get a taxi, and I give the guy my address as I’m sliding onto the seat. Tobin glides in right after me, seating herself close to me, but not on top of me. Her hand immediately goes to my thigh and I look over at her and see that she has a smirk on her face. I lean back into the seat, running a hand through my hair, when suddenly I feel Tobin’s hand creeping up from her already high spot on my thigh. My head snaps to Tobin, but she only has that stupid smirk on her face. As her hand travels higher, my breathing increases. She slips a hand under my dress and strokes a finger against my steadily dampening underwear. I let out a quiet sigh I knew only Tobin could hear and I see Tobin bite her lower lip and close her eyes for a second. Slowly she pushes my underwear to the side, and begins to lazily rub the spot right next to my clit. My mouth opens in desire, and I have to restrain myself from letting the groan escape from my throat. 

“Miss, what’s the code to your gate?” The taxi driver asks and Tobin and I both jump, causing Tobin’s fingers to press harder into me. 

“5307.” I manage to squeak out and I can see Tobin biting her lip, but this time it’s because she’s trying to hold back the laugh she desperately wants to let out. 

“Here we are Miss.” 

“Keep the change.” I yell as I throw a fifty at the cab driver, and basically run to my front door. As soon as I close the door behind us, Tobin picks me up, and I instantly wrap my legs around her waist.

“Bedroom.” I murmur against her lips but she shakes her head. 

“Can’t wait.” She mumbles back as she leads me to the plush living room carpet. 

She puts me down gently, but immediately starts to unzip and pull my dress over my head. Her eyes widen when she sees the black lingerie set I have on before licking her lips and slowing down the process of taking her shirt off. 

“My god you are so fucking sexy.” She hums out as her eyes travel up and down my body. 

“More sexy then that Aussie?” I question and her eyes rise up to mine prior to taking a determined step my way and pulling me close to her. 

“No one, and I repeat no one, is more beautiful to me then you. Don’t ever think differently.” She whispers against my lips before connecting them fully with mine.

A wave of confidence washes over me and I push Tobin so that she falls against the couch. 

“Would you like a lap dance Mrs. Heath?” I drawl out into the shell of her ear. I hear Tobin gulp as she nods her head enthusiastically and I smile to myself. 

“One rule though. No touching from you.” I say as I pull back and almost giggle at her reaction. She opens her mouth to object but I put my finger over her lips. 

“No touching.” I repeat, gazing down at Tobin’s hooded eyes as she nods her head slowly. 

I lean back off of Tobin and turn my back to her, moving my hips back and forth in a teasing matter, and I hear Tobin groan from behind me. I scoot back until my butt is pressed down onto Tobin’s front, where she is only in her Calvin Klein boy shorts, and grind leisurely against her. I see her hands gripping the couch so hard, her knuckles are beginning to turn white. 

I spin around and place a leg on either side of her, moving in so that my hair falls around our faces like a curtain. I lean forward enough so that my breast are right in front of Tobin, and I let out a small moan when I feel her kiss and suck at the part of my breast that is peaking out of my bra. I back away from her, and a small whine leaves her mouth. I bring my face close to Tobin’s and take her bottom lip in between my teeth and slowly pull at it while simultaneously cupping her center roughly. Tobin moans loudly and raises her hips, trying to get contact from the hand I just withdrew. 

“Fucking tease.” She rasps out and I cup her center roughly again, this time moving my fingers in a circular motion against her moist boy shorts. I whirl around and once again grind my ass into her. 

“God Alex. Please let me touch you.” She whimpers. I turn, facing her once more, smiling as I nod my head, giving her the ok to touch me. 

Her hands instantly grab my butt and roughly pulls me into a kiss. Her hands waste no time in traveling to where I needed them most. Before I can even think, Tobin has moved my underwear to the side and has slid two fingers into me. 

“Oh my god.” I groan loudly as I rock against her fingers that are already driving into me at a fast pace. Tobin leans forward, wrapping an arm around my waist to keep me from falling, and brings our foreheads together, our eyes not leaving one another. 

She begins to curl her fingers inside of me, and I feel my whole body melt against her as instincts take over, and I’m now thrusting harder against her fingers. 

“OH MY GOD!!! AHHH!!!” Someone suddenly yells and both of our eyes go wide. I roll off of Tobin, grabbing the blanket as I go, wrapping it around my body. I look up to see Kling, Pinoe, Ash, and Kelley all with their hands over their eyes.

“I’m scarred for life oh my god.” Kelley mutters as she blindly tries to make her way through the room. 

“What the hell guys! Why didn’t you knock!!!” Tobin yells at them as she throws her white v-neck at me for me to put on, which I do quickly. 

“We did!! But you didn’t hear us because you were to busy fucking so we went through the sliding door!” Pinoe shouts back, her hands still over eyes. 

“I can’t believe we just walked in on you guys fucking.” Ash chuckles. “Oh by the way Tobin, congrats.” Ash laughs out. 

“Dude!!!” Tobin shouts and grabs the nearest pillow, and throwing it at Ash who just laughs. 

“Well that makes it official. I have now witnessed all of you fucking someone. You know, I really shouldn’t even be shocked anymore with my luck. I’m going to bed.” Kling mutters as she drunkenly stumbles towards her room. 

“Enjoy the rest of your night.” Ash winks at Tobin and then at me before leading Pinoe and Kelley, who still have their hands over their eyes, out of the room. 

“Oh my god.” I mumble into my hands, and can feel how hot my cheeks are. I look up when I hear Tobin laughing. 

“Oh c’mon you have to admit that was a little funny.” She chuckles and I glare at her before stomping off to my room. 

I’m halfway there, when I feel arms slide around my waist, pulling me closer. 

“Excuse me but I think we have some business to finish.” Tobin whispers into my ear and I shriek and laugh when Tobin picks me up and basically runs up the stairs to my bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you guys are going to be shocked at what happens in the next two chapters. If you guess what happens, I'm just going to HAVE to post both chapters today!


	39. Game Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait guys, I know I said I was going to update wayyy sooner, but real life kinda gets in the way sometimes. Anyways tell me what you think!

Tobin’s POV

 

“Thank god it’s Friday.” Kelley mumbles next to me as we walk to our English III class.

 

“It hasn’t even sunk in yet. This our last day of actually classes, our last collegiate soccer game is tonight, and we’re going to be moving, MOVING, to California in like 8 days!” I shout in disbelief.

 

“I knowwwwww. How much did your mom freak out? Because mine flipped her shit.” Kelley said with wide eyes.

 

“My mom was really happy, so happy that she cried. But I think she was also crying because I’m leaving.” I grimace slightly as I inform Kelley.

 

“Yeah my mom was the same way. She’s worried about me and Kling being out there with basically no adult watching over us.”

 

“God I don’t even want to take exams now.” I groan when I sit down in my desk.

 

“Same dude. But think on the bright side, we have a game tonight!”

 

“That is the only thing getting me through today after the break that we just had.” I say before turning my attention to the front of the classroom, my mind drifting back to the absolutely amazing time I had with Alex this past week.

 

\----

 

Alex’s POV

 

I lay down on my bed after having just finished my last class for the day with a loud sigh. I’ve only been lying down for what felt like 10 seconds when there is a knock on the door. Confused, I check my watch and see that Tobin shouldn’t be out of class for at least another 30 minutes. Maybe she got out early I think to myself as I hop off the bed and rush to the door. When I open it however, all the happiness drains out of me and is replaced with dread.

 

“Servando. What are you doing here?” I ask quietly as I take in his angry presence.

 

He doesn’t answer me, but storms into my room, slamming the door shut behind him.

 

“What the fuck is this?!” He yells as he shoves his phone into my face. My face goes white when I see it’s a picture of Tobin and I kissing in the alleyway of 1 Oak last week.

 

“Ser-“

 

“You are so fucking lucky it was my friend that sent me this, and not some reporter. What the fuck are you doing with her Alex?! Huh?! You think you can go around and cheat on me with that fucking dyke and me not know about it?! Oh and that fag has another thing coming to her, you just wait.” He rages at me while throwing items off of my desk onto the ground, and I’m petrified to the point of not being able to move, much less speak.

 

“You’re not even trying to defend yourself which means it must be true. I should have known from the beginning that you were a little slut that couldn’t keep her legs closed. And to sleep with her of all people? She’s fucking nobody and will never amount to anything.” He says looking at me with disgust and at this my head snaps up and I look at him in pure rage.

 

“Shut up! Y-“ I yell at him before he swings his arm at me, and I feel a sharp pain across my cheek. I cup my cheek in shock as I look up at Servando who is staring down at me in repulsion.

 

“One more fucking word, and you’re career is over. I call my dad, tell him what you did, and he’ll spread the word around, threaten people, or pay them off until no other agency wants you.” He sneers at me and the tears I was holding back, slip out and make their way down my stinging cheek.

 

“There’s a soccer game tonight right?” He asks suddenly and my head pops up and see that he is smiling nastily at me.

 

“We’re going, I hear it’s going to be a good one.” He says cocking his head to the side and smiling wickedly.

 

\----

Tobin’s POV

 

My knees are bouncing as I sit in my locker looking down at my phone with a frown on my face. I had texted Alex hours ago and still hadn’t gotten a response, which was really odd, and it had me a little worried. I think back to our last night in LA, and close my eyes, reminiscing.

 

_I slide the glass door open, and slip through the door, dragging a laughing Alex behind me. I run, pulling Alex along, to the cliff that overlooks the beach and the sun that is now setting. I sit down on the grass, patting the spot in front of me in between my legs, and Alex immediately drops into the spot and leans back against me. I wrap my arms around her waist, and move her hair to one side before I start placing small slow kisses on the back of her neck. Alex sighs as she leans her head slightly, resting it against my shoulder. I place a final kiss and pull her further into me and sigh contently at the feeling of her against me._

_We sit in comfortable silence, just enjoying the beautiful sunset and each other’s warmth. After the sun has gone down, and only streaks of florescent pink and light purple illuminate the sky, Alex turns around in my lap and faces me. She places her hands lightly on my cheek, cupping it, as her eyes travel over my face._

_“I love you.” I blurt out suddenly._

_“I just couldn’t hold that in any longer.” I explain when I see her eyes widen slightly._

_Alex stays still for only a moment more and then suddenly she lashes out and hits me across my shoulder._

_“Ow! Shit Alex I’m sorry, I didn-“_

_“You little shithead,” Alex says, hitting me again. “I wanted to say it first! You stole the freaking perfect moment from me!”_

_As Alex is ranting out the second sentence, I comprehend what her first sentence meant, and before she can react, I’ve tackled her and we go rolling down the small grassy hill. We stop rolling when I am hovering over her and I smile brilliantly at Alex. I cup her face with both of my hands, proportioning my body weight onto my elbows and into Alex’s center, as I whisper to her._

_“Say it please.”_

_“I love you.” She whispers back before smiling just as bright back at me. I lean in and crash our lips together in a passionate kiss, but I pull back after a few seconds._

_“Say it again.” I murmur and she places a hand on my face._

_“I love you.” She gets out before I’m kissing her once more._

_“Again.” I sigh against her lips._

_We spend god knows how much time lying there in the grass, whispering our love for each other, in between kisses. When the evening wind becomes too chilly, we simply move to Alex’s bedroom, staying up all night expressing our love in between messy sheets._

 

“Dude c’mon, games about to start.” Kelley says tapping me on the shoulder as she walks past me, dragging me out of my daze.

 

“Yeah yeah, I’m coming.” I sigh before tossing my phone into my bag and jogging after Kelley.

 

When I get on the pitch, I instantly look up into the stands for Alex. My eyebrows scrunch together when I don’t see Alex in her normal spot next to Kling and Ashlyn. Maybe she’s just running a little late. I shake my head, moving my focus onto my last collegiate game of soccer ever. I was going to have to put my complete concentration on this game because the team we are playing is known for being the dirtiest in the conference. As we shake hands, it feels as if all of them are giving me death glares and grip my hand hard enough for me to grimace each time.

 

“What the hell was their problem. It looked like they wanted to kill you.” Kelley murmurs to me as she looks over her shoulder to the retreating team.

 

“I don’t know man.” I say looking over my shoulder as well.

 

I line up along the left side of the field, and close my eyes breathing in the familiar scent of grass and excitement. Then the whistle blows and I open my eyes as I race down the sideline.

 

Within the first 30 minutes of the game I had been fouled a dozen times, but the ref had only called one once. I pick myself up off the ground, spitting blades of grass out of my mouth as I stare down the smirking girl who had just fouled me and gotten away with it. I march over to the goal, setting myself in front of it for the corner kick Pinoe is about to serve. She strikes it, and as it comes towards us, an elbow suddenly flies into my face. I instantly fall to my knees as my hands come up to gingerly touch my nose and my eyes shut as the pain radiates through my head.

 

“Shit Tobin are you ok?! You’re bleeding like crazy! Lets get you to the bench.” Kelley says as she puts a hand under my shoulder and helps me up.

 

I pinch my nose to help stop the bleeding and spit out the blood that had trickled down my throat. I look over to see number 26 fist bumping her teammates. Anger surges through me and I clench my fist in frustration as the ref walks by me and only gives me a head nod to go see my athletic trainer.

 

“That sounded like it hurt from here Tobin. Are you ok to keep playing?” Our trainer asks me as he pulls out gauze sponges.

 

“Yeah yeah. Just get me back out there Todd.” I say to him as I turn my head to watch the game.

 

Todd makes quick work of my bloody nose and packs a wad of gauze up it to keep it from bleeding. I run back out onto the field, more determined then ever to beat this team.

 

Half time finally arrives and I immediately grab a water bottle, incredibly thirsty from the physical first half. I walk into the locker room, stretching my torso, already knowing there would be bruises from all of the purposeful elbows I had received.

 

“My god did you sleep with one of their mothers Heath?” Pinoe asks as she follows me into the locker room.

 

“I have no idea why they are all over me! And that ref is fucking useless.” I grumble out as chug some more water.

 

Coach gives us the normal half time pump up speech, but this time reminding the team that this would be Kelley, Pinoe, and I’s last time playing with them. All of the girls seemed to get pretty pumped up on the situation, I wasn’t paying much attention since Todd was taking the wad of gauze out of my nose and inspecting it to make sure it was no longer bleeding. Before I know it, we’re back on the field, ready to start the second half of what seemed to be a battle.            

 

If I thought the first half was rough, then I was like a pinball in a pinball machine the second half. I couldn’t be around a player without being shoved to the ground or getting an elbow to the ribs. Kelley passes me the ball, and I run as fast as I can, sailing past the girl that’s tailing me. I see Christen making a break for it, and send the ball through two players, right to her feet. Without much trouble, Christen sends an arching ball right into the upper right corner of the goal.

 

“Yes!” I yell and rush over to the celebration huddle.

 

“Let’s do this guys! C’mon!” Kelley shouts and we run back to the center of the field.

 

If it were possible, the opposing team got even rougher. Not only were they fouling me, but they had started to foul the rest of the girls on my team as well. Pinoe got so fed up with it that she pushes one of the players and she dives into the 18. The ref blows his whistle and comes running up, pointing that it was a penalty kick.

 

“Ref! Are you kidding me! She dove!! She was 5 feet outside of the box!!” I yell as I run up to him.

 

“Nope, was definitely in the box.” He says.

 

“Are you fucking kidding me ref!! All night they’ve been fouling me and you do nothing you fuckwad!” I rage at him and he pulls out a yellow, shoving it into my face.

 

I hear the home crowd jeers rise even louder when I am showed the card. I’m opening my mouth to say something else when Kelley pulls me away.

 

“You are not getting kicked out of your last college game!” Kelley says to me.

 

I growl in annoyance and stalk away, lining up in case the ball didn’t go in the net. However, the girl steps up and calmly takes the penalty kick, and scores. I grit my teeth in annoyance as I walk back to the center of the field, and glancing up at the clock to see there is still 13 minutes left in the game.

 

3 minutes later, Ali sent me a perfect ball and I start streaking towards the goal. Out of nowhere a girl comes in and tackles me, hitting me right above my ankle. I go flying, and land straight on my back, knocking the air out of me. I struggle to get my breath back, and I feel someone land next to me and tuck my knees into my chest. After a few more moments, I finally get my first breath, and relief washes through me. I take several deep breaths and I look up to see Kelley watching me anxiously.

 

“You ok Tobs?”

 

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” I grimace as I stand up and stretch my battered torso. “Lets go fucking beat theses bitches.” I say before stalking off.

 

The last 10 minutes of the game, both teams are giving it their all. My body was beginning to feel all of the knocks I had received over the course of the game, and it was starting to slow me down a little bit. Pinoe passed me the ball, and I glance up to see the field ahead of me clear. I sprint 20 yards, and find myself 5 yards outside of the box. I’m still running at full speed when suddenly two bodies slam into me. My head gets knocked backward from my mouth and nose being slammed into a shoulder and then whipped to the side from an elbow to my eyebrow. I feel my body twisting in mid air, and when I hit the ground, I can’t stop myself when I start rolling across the field and colliding with the oncoming goalkeeper.

 

My head feels like it’s in a bubble. The sound of the crowd is muffled and when I look up, Pinoe is blurry. I see her gazing down at me but it looks like she’s moving in slow motion when she looks up, waving her hands and yelling. I move my head to the side when I feel a liquid pooling in my mouth, and I feel something seeping into my eye when the sound begins to fade away and everything goes black.


	40. Watch Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait guys! Ok so serious question for ALL of you. I'm starting a new story and before you ask, yes I am finishing this story because I really am enjoying writing this one! This new story, which I'm going to be calling Concrete Jungle, is going to be prettyyyyyy good and hopefully unique, or at least I think so. I've been having the idea for about 4 months now but am only just now putting thoughts into words. So. Would you guys rather see Tobin/Alex or Tobin/Christen??? I've just got to ask because this story could go either way and I want to know which one my readers would enjoy more. Sooooooo please please please leave a comment so I can tally up the votes to see if I stay with Talex for my next story or switch over to Preath (because we all know that shit is real now). Oh and tell me what you think about this chapter! Hope you guys enjoy!

“Let go of me.” I mumble to Servando as he drags me by my hand through the parking lot of the soccer field.

 

“Shut up.” He says harshly.

 

“Why do you want to go to the soccer game?” I ask nervously.

 

“Shut up!” He says tugging my arm roughly and making me stop walking. “We’re going to go and watch your friend play. Isn’t that what you want?” He sneers at me and turns around walking off without waiting for an answer.

 

He leads me not into my normal spot with Ashlyn and Kling, but past them and up into the upper left corner of the stands. As I walk past Ashlyn and Kling their eyes go wide, and I’m about to say something but yet again Servando tugs me, not allowing me to say anything. I look over my shoulder, and see Ash halfway out of her seat until Kling makes her sit down.

 

When we sit down in our seats, I notice that Brent is sitting next to Servando and I grimace immediately. I sit on the edge of my seat as far away as possible from Servando, who is, at this point, completely ignoring my presence.

 

Soon both teams are walking out onto the field and I sit up a little straighter and spot Tobin immediately. I watch her as her eyes search for me in the stands and get a little pang in my heart when I see Tobin’s eyebrows scrunch together like they always do when something happens that she doesn’t understand. She takes one last look at the stands before shaking her head and running off onto the field. I’m about to relax into my seat when I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. I slip it out and see that Ashlyn had texted me.

 

**Ashyln: Hey is everything alright? Are you ok?**

**Alex: No, he just showed up and won’t let me leave his side.**

I respond back quickly, looking over my shoulder but Servando is still chatting with Brent. I look down to where Ash and Kling are and see them talking intensely before Ash suddenly stands and starts making her way up the stairs. My eyes widen when I see that she is making her way towards us.

 

“What the fuck does the dyke want?” Brent says from behind me, just spotting an approaching Ashlyn.

 

“Hey Alex you want to come sit with us?” Ash asks ignoring Brent’s presence.

 

“That sounds wond-“ I begin but am interrupted by a tight grip on my wrist.

 

“She’s fine sitting here with her boyfriend.” He says, emphasizing the last word.

 

“ I wasn’t asking you.” She says coldly. “Al would you like to come sit with us?”

 

“She’s not moving so why don’t you just fuck off.” Servando snarls quietly so as not to draw more attention to themselves. Ashlyn’s eyes are simmering with contained anger when she looks at me.

 

“Alex?” She asks once again and I go to stand up but Servando tightens his already strong grip on my wrist, making me gasp in pain, and forcing me to sit all while staring Ashlyn down.

 

“I think you forgot what happened last time you messed with the wrong guy’s girl. Maybe you need a few more scars on that ugly face of yours.” Servando sneers and I see Ashlyn’s chest begin to heave in fury.

 

“So fuck off.” Servando says coldly.

 

Ashlyn takes a look at my wide eyes and sighs before making her way back to her seat. The sudden blowing of the whistle makes me jump and I look onto the field to see the game has just started.

 

“Finally. Time for some entertainment.” Servando says, rubbing his hands together.

 

The pit that was already in my stomach grew larger as the game went on. It looked as if Tobin was the other team’s personal boxing bag. I wince and grimace every time Tobin gets tackled, slowly dragging herself up from the ground, or taking an elbow to the ribs, making her stride falter. I stand up when I see Tobin catch an elbow to the face and she falls to her knees. The entire crowd moans in pain for Tobin when they see her nose bleeding profusely. I hear Servando and Brent laughing next to me and I refuse to even look their way.

 

“This game has been really entertaining actually. I don’t know why I didn’t come to them before.” Servando comments.

 

I ignore his comment, and watch as Tobin enters the game again, ready to attack. The first half ends and before I know it, the second half is underway. Everyone besides Brent and Servando stand and shout when Tobin passes a ball to Christen who then shoots and scores.

 

The intensity of the game increased to the point that I was scared for not only Tobin now, but the rest of the team. The other team gets a penalty kick for something I didn’t totally understand but it has the entire crowd booing the ref. The jeers get even louder when Tobin argues the call and gets a yellow card thrown into her face. Even from up high in the stands, I can feel the anger radiating off of Tobin. The other team converts the penalty and the game is tied up with less then 15 to go.

 

It’s only a few minutes later that I see Tobin getting clipped, causing her to fly through the air, and land on her back. I hold my breath and don’t let it out until I see Kelley gently helping her up. She jogs stiffly for about another minute before the pain finally wears off.

 

Pinoe passes a ball to Tobin in the last few minutes of the game and the entire crowd goes wild when they see that she has an open field in front of her. Tobin takes off and is so focused on the ball, she doesn’t see what everyone else does, which is two players coming in from either side at full speed. My whole body tenses up and I scream when I see them make impact with Tobin. Tobin looks like a rag doll as her body gets crushed and rolls into the goalkeepers upturned cleats.

 

The entire crowd yells as all of Tobin’s teammates rush to her unmoving form. My hands are over my mouth in horror as I watch Pinoe roll Tobin over before immediately calling over the trainer. I can’t see anything and I watch in dread as the trainers hover over her for what seems like ages.

 

After what turns out to be 3 minutes, I see Tobin’s legs moving, and soon they are helping her to her feet. I gasp when I see the amount of blood covering Tobin’s face as the trainer and Kelley basically carry Tobin off of the field.

 

“Dude totally worth the money.” Servando says and high fives Brent.

 

I whirl around to see Servando smugly looking down onto the field where Tobin is being helped off.

 

“What did you just say?” I ask, my voice filled with deadly rage.

 

“Nothing. I’m just enjoying the game.” Servando smirks at me.

 

“Don’t you ever talk to me again. Don’t call me. Don’t come near me. Don’t even think about going near my friends or I swear to god you will regret of ever having thoughts about me again.” I snarl. Servando looks at me for a moment before breaking out into laughter.

 

“Yeah right. Ok. I think you forget this little thing called a contract.” He says cockily.

 

“I don’t give a fuck anymore. I’ll burn the damn thing myself.” I say and his eyes narrow.

 

“You wouldn’t dare.”

 

“Watch me.” I say and begin to walk away when he grabs me roughly.

 

“Get off of me!” I yell loudly, causing everyone in the area to turn and look at us. Servando quickly glances around before looking back at me, his complexion calm, but his eyes filled with contained fury as he lets me go.

 

I run down the stairs and almost collide with Ashlyn and Kling who are pushing people out of their way.

 

“Ashlyn!” I call out to her and she looks at me before grabbing my hand and leading me out of the bleachers. She leads Kling and I down this alley and to what looks like the locker room. We arrive at the same time as Kelley and the trainer who are still carrying Tobin.

 

My eyes well up with tears when I get a closer look at Tobin’s face. She has 4 cuts above her eyebrow, from what I assume were from the goalkeepers cleats, that are bleeding profusely, her nose is bleeding once again, and she’s got a busted lip from one of the player’s shoulders. She seems to be out of it as her head slightly hangs, and her mouth is open, a mixture of blood and spit dribbling out.

 

“Kelley!” I say as soon as she is close to us and Kelley’s face red with exertion pops up and looks at us.

 

“Hey guys, we’re taking Tobs to the hospital now, you can ride behind us.” She says as they continue to carry Tobin without stopping.

 

I run up next to Kelley and walk with them to the parking lot.

 

“Tobin. Tobin baby can you hear me?” I asks and the only response I get from her is a feeble grunt.

 

“Can I ride with you guys?” I ask Kelley and the trainer who nods his head as he focuses on getting Tobin to the car as fast as possible.

 

We get to the car and they slowly lower Tobin into the car, Kelley and I getting in on either side to hold her steady before we take off.

 

“After this I’m going to their hotel and fucking kicking their asses.” Kelley says in a voice I had never heard from her before.

 

“Kelley.” He says in a warning voice.

 

“No! I don’t care Mike! Did you hear what they were saying?! It sounded like it was a competition to see who hurt Tobin the most! They were fucking arguing about who got her better when she was on the ground bleeding and fucking unconscious!!!” Kelley rages.

 

“Mmmm too loud Kelley.” Tobin mumbles from in between us and Kelley whips her head to the side.

 

“Sorry Tobs.” She says straightaway. “How ya feelin bud?”

 

“Worse then that time you convinced me that it was a good idea to hang from my feet off the zip line at your lake house.” She mutters out causing Kelley to chuckle.

 

“It would have been a great idea had you not have slipped.” She says in a teasing tone.

 

“Tobin.” I say, placing a hand on her leg and she slowly turns her head to look at me.

 

“Hey Lex.” She says softly and tries to smile but fails miserably and I bite my lip to stop the tears that are welling up in my eyes.

 

I grab a handful of the copious amount of gauze in Kelley’s hand and begin to gently wipe away the blood that is dripping onto her white jersey, staining it deep red.

 

“My head hurts. Is it ok if I just put my head on your shoulder?” Tobin asks quietly.

 

“Come her baby.” I say and move myself into a position that Tobin can just lean her body into, her head resting on my shoulder and neck. I hold Tobin gently, kissing the top of her head, as tears stream down my face when I realize that once again, Tobin was bleeding because of me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to vote for either Tobin/Alex or Tobin/Christen for my next story!


	41. I Swear To God Tobin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY!! I know I know, I'm the worst. If you guys follow me on tumblr, you'll know that real life got in the way. By the way guys, those comments were INSANE!!!! I was hoping for like 50..... I never EVER thought I would get over 150!!!! You guys are seriously awesome. I hope you guys know that. Because honestly I probably would have stopped writing a LONG time ago if it wasn't for y'all. So thank you for bugging me insistently about updating lol. Sooo I counted up the votes and the winner is *dramatic drumroll* TALEX. Big surprise there lol. But that's what my readers want so that's what you guys will receive. To all my Preath lovers, sorry, but don't get your hopes down just yet! I know a lot of you requested a one shot. I'm not good with one shots but I might do a short 5 chapter story, and if that gets a good response maybe I'll do a longer one. Who knows! I thought my first story A Place To Call Home would be my only story! Anyways I have about 20k of the next story, Concrete Jungle, written down and personally I think it's going to be prettttyyyyy good. It's definitely going to have A LOT, LIKE ALOT, of feels in that story. So buckle down loyal fans!! It's gonna be a fucking roller coaster of emotions!!!! Anyways I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Tobin’s POV

“What do you mean I can’t sue him?!” I say outraged to the lawyer in front of me. 

“I’m sorry, there’s no proof to build this case off of.” The lawyer responds. 

“Um how about her beat up body?! It’s been 4 days and still nothing! ” Kelley chimes in angrily and the lawyer sighs.

“Look I get it. You know it was him, but unless you have solid proof this won’t be a case. You’ve got a kid from LA whose dad is multi millionaire in one of the biggest movie business’s out there, has a squeaky clean record, his longtime girlfriend is your friend, and there’s no motive for him to have the opposing soccer team attack you. I’m sorry I really wish I could help you, but I can’t, and I don’t know any lawyer that can.” She says regretfully and I watch flabbergasted as she walks out the hospital room. 

I close my eyes and slam my head back into my pillow in frustration. 

“This is fucking bull shit.” Kelley murmurs furiously next to me. 

“I’m so sick of this shit.” I say shaking my head as I look out the window. 

“Well what about Alex?”

“What about Alex?” I ask, turning back to face Kelley. 

“Well is she going to do anything?” 

“What do you want her to do Kelley?” I sigh.

“I don’t know just something!” 

“She’s already apologized about half a million times. She can’t even look at me without saying sorry.” 

“I know but-“

“She can’t do anything without jeopardizing her career Kelley.”

“Yeah but can’t sh-“

“JUST SHUT UP KELLEY!” I shout and immediately feel bad when a hurt expression crosses her face. 

“I-I’m sorry Kels. I just-I can’t- this has been very stressful and just physically draining.” I say rubbing my forehead. I feel the bed dip and Kelley’s arms circling around me. 

“I know bud I’m sorry. I’m just tired of assholes getting away with shit.” 

“Yeah me too.” I say hugging Kelley back. We sit in silence, watching whatever was playing on the TV.

“Don’t worry about it Tobs, he’ll get what he deserves. It’s only a matter of time.” Kelley says to me as the next round of Wheel of Fortune starts. I hum in response and turn my head as I hear someone enter the room. A smile immediately comes to my face when I see that it’s Alex walking in with my backpack over her shoulder. 

“Hey babe.” I call out to her as she makes her way towards me. She leans down and places a chaste kiss on my lips. I grunt in disapproval and pull her in by the edge of her shirt for a deeper kiss. I hear her chuckle against my lips before intensifying our kiss. 

“UM EXCUSE ME! GUYS! I’M RIGHT HERE!!” Kelley squeaks from under us, waving her arms around, forcing us to separate. 

“Sorry Kels.” Alex laughs as she pats Kelley’s disgruntled face.

“So good news. You’re mom just finished talking to the doctor, and you’re allowed to go home now!” Alex says excitedly. 

“Why do I feel like there is also bad news…?” I drawl out. 

“You have only 6 hours to pack for California until our plane leaves.” Alex says with a tentative smile on her face. 

“6 HOURS?! Why the fuck am I still here then?!” I shout as I jump out of bed. I instantly see stars and can feel myself swaying before Alex reaches out to grab me. 

“Um maybe you shouldn’t do sudden movements.” Alex hesitantly says. 

“No sudden movements. Got it.” I say and begin walking again when the door ahead of me wasn’t sideways. 

-5 ½ hours later –

I let out a huge sigh as I lean back into the couch on Alex’s jet. The rest of the girls are like buzzing bees around me, but I close my eyes and try to relax as the throbbing in my head slowly disappears. I feel the plane moving underneath me, but I continue to keep my eyes close until I feel someone move some of my hair behind my ear. My eyes crack open and a sleepy smile finds my face as I see Alex smiling lovingly down at me. 

“C’mon.” Alex gestures to me, taking my hand in hers. I sleepily let her guide me to the back of the plane, towards the small bedroom. 

Once I enter the room, I fall onto the bed, crawling up on it until my head is resting against a pillow. I feel Alex lay down next to me and soon she is in my vision, putting her own head down on a pillow next to me. 

“Hey beautiful.” I mumble, reaching out to her and pulling her closer. 

Alex quickly scoots towards me, sliding one hand underneath my shirt and placing it on my ribs while the other caresses my face. A sad expression crosses Alex’s face as her hand runs across the healing cuts above my eyebrow. 

“Tobin I-“

“Don’t Alex.” 

“But Tob-“

“Stop. Uh uh. No.” I say every time she opens her mouth. 

“Please stop apologizing.” 

“I can’t help it! Every time I look at your face I feel sick at what he did to you because you’re with me.” She says biting her lip. I sigh and pull Alex even closer then before, to the point that our foreheads are resting against each other. 

“You didn’t do this to me. Servando is totally responsible for this and no one else. Ok yeah it sucks that Servando is completely psychotic, but that won’t stop me from loving you. I love you. So much Alex. A few cuts and bruises aren’t going to stop that. ” I whisper to her and Alex’s eyes get slightly teary. 

“Ok?” I murmur against her lips and she nods her head before connecting our lips. 

I deepen the kiss immediately, rolling over until Alex is below me. Our hands explored each other’s body, hands squeezing taut muscles and touching soft skin. Alex’s hands travel down my sides, scratching teasingly. My own hands move down to her ass and I yank her even closer, putting one of my thighs between her legs. Alex begins to subconsciously move her hips against my leg slowly as I curl my tongue against the roof of her mouth. My fingers work their way to the front and I dip my finger below the waistband of her jeans. Alex inhales sharply, biting on my lower lip in reaction to the slow descent of my fingers. 

“How long is this flight?” I huskily mumble as I move my mouth to the smooth skin of her neck. 

“3-3 hours.” She stutters, faltering when I nibble at her pulse point. 

“Perfect. This needs to go.” I say tugging on Alex’s shirt until it’s on the other side of the bed, followed quickly by her bra. 

I let out a combination of a growl and a moan as I run my fingers down Alex’s torso and she squirms beneath me. I lean forward, running my tongue around her nipple teasingly, not yet giving her what she wants. Alex writhes under me, trying to move her body so that her nipples would no longer be deprived, her hips becoming sporadic in their attempt to relieve the pressure that I’m positive is building in her center. 

“Tobin.” Alex sighs as she runs her fingers through my hair. 

I finally move my mouth over to her hardened nipple and suck hard at the tender skin. Alex arches into my mouth, trying to contain a moan but failing. I lavish over her breast, sucking and nipping at the sensitive nub. I switch between each breast, only taking a break for her to be able to rip off my shirt and sports bra. 

I kiss my way up Alex’s neck, until I’m at her ear, and run my tongue along the shell of her ear, causing her to shiver. 

“God you are so fucking sexy. Babe I-I can’t keep my hands off of you.” I breathe hotly into her ear as her nails scrape down my back and my hips grind against hers. 

“Then don’t.” She whispers into my ear. 

I drag my fingers down her sides, slowly edging my way down Alex’s body, kissing as much skin as I can. I unzip her jeans, leaning back as I slowly pull them off. I bite my lip as I hover over Alex, taking in all of her. 

“I love you so much.” I mutter against her inner thigh, and the only thing I get in response is a stifled moan. 

I take the edge of Alex’s thin underwear in between my teeth, pulling them off slowly as I stare into Alex’s desired filled eyes. Once I’ve pulled it down to her thighs, I lean in, dragging my tongue against her center as I tear off her underwear with my spare hand. I open my eyes, groaning when I see Alex’s head rolling on the pillow in desire as her hips strain against my restrictive grip. I run my tongue through her folds slowly, circling her clit, before plunging my tongue into her center. A loud moan escapes from Alex as one hand holds the back of my head and the other clenches the sheets at her side. When Alex’s breathing becomes erratic and her hip movements increase, I move my mouth away from her center, kissing the inside of her thighs. 

Alex’s breathing slowly returns to normal, and I kiss my way back to her center, broadening my tongue and running it from the bottom of her entrance all the way up to her clit. I lick several long slow strokes, before intensifying the pressure, causing Alex to almost immediately start breathing heavily again. I work Alex up to the point that I can feel her shaking underneath me before I once again move to kiss her inner thigh, smirking slightly when I hear Alex’s frustrated sigh at me for postponing her orgasm for a second time. 

“I swear to god Tobin. Stop teasing me and fuck me.” Alex pants. 

At this, I go back to Alex’s center, sucking on her clit while running my tongue over it, as my middle finger starts to tease its way around her wet entrance. I increase the pace of my tongue and slip a finger inside of her, causing her to release a sigh of relief. I pump my finger a couple of times before adding a second, escalating the speed of my tongue even more. 

Alex lets out a low groan in her throat as her hips rise up to meet my thrust, my hands no longer restraining her. My fingers still moving inside of Alex, I make my way up her body, using my other hand to pull her into a searing kiss. Our tongues become tangled, teeth clashing, and lips being smashed from the intensity of it. When I feel Alex trembling beneath me, I pull out my fingers from her dripping center. 

“Jesus Tobin if you don’t fuc-“ Alex gets out before inhaling sharply as I push three fingers into her. 

I’m out of control at this point, desire overwhelming me as I drive my fingers into her at an incredible speed, my fingers curling with each pump. The only thing I’m aware of is Alex’s withering body beneath me, and the whimpers that are escaping from her lips that are mere centimeters away from mine. 

“Tobin I’m so close.” Alex whines out. 

“I know, I know baby.” I whisper into her ear prior to moving my body down a foot, taking one of Alex’s nipples into my mouth. I suck hard, running my teeth over the hardened nub, and Alex loses it. 

Her whole body arches, and she freezes for a moment as her orgasm slams into her, before her body starts shaking uncontrollably as I guide her through it. As it begins to fade away I wrap my arm around her, holding her close as random spasms washes over her body. 

“Holy. Fuck.” Alex heaves out. 

“Mmm.” I hum into her throat, placing soft kisses up her throbbing pulse. 

“How are you so god damn sexy?” Alex rhetorically asks. 

“Babe I think that’s the other way around.” I say, leaning up on my elbows and running a hand down her side. We cuddle into each other for a few minutes, kissing one another softly, until Alex starts pushing me off of her. 

“Stand up.” She demands. 

“Why?” I ask in confusion, but doing as she says.

“Because it’s my turn and these need to come off.” She rasps with an incredibly sexy expression on her face as she tugs at my jeans. 

I’m positive they were in the corner of the room in a matter of milliseconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how are we liking it so far? If you have any questions about this story or the upcoming story, or even just want to chat, hit me up on my tumblr: Wolfgangrythem.


	42. I'm Bored

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....sorry....?

“Alright that’s a wrap guys, great job today!” Ted’s voice scratches out over the intercom. 

I take off my headphones prior to sliding my guitar off of me and gently setting it down. I walk out of the studio into the control room, grabbing a water out of the fridge before flopping onto the couch. 

“Woo that was a long session today.” I say after drinking about half of the water bottle. 

“You guys were killing it today!” Ruby says as she swivels around in her chair. 

“Hell yeah we were! Damn at this rate, we’ll have our album done by the end of the week!” Pinoe shouts excitedly. 

“I think this calls for a little celebration.” Kelley drawls out while making the motion of tipping bottles back. 

“Well I don’t know about you guys, but I could totally go for a whiskey right about now.” Ash chimes in. 

“It’s decided! I can show you guys a really awesome bar that I’ve recently come across if you want.” Ruby says as she stands up. All of us look to one another, nodding our heads before I turn back to Ruby. 

“Yeah that would be really cool, thanks Ruby.” I say to her, and her smile grows a little wider. 

“Great! I’ll text you guys the details! See you later ladies.” She says before sauntering out. As soon as she is out the door, Pinoe is whistling. 

“God damn that girl is fine as fuck.” She says. 

“Pinoe!” Kling says, sounding shocked. 

“What?! We’re all thinking it!!” She yells defensively. 

“True.” Kelley says with a shrug of her shoulders and Ashlyn nods her head in agreement before the pair turn their eyes on me. 

“What?” I say leaning back into the couch. 

“Don’t you find her extremely attractive?” Kelley asks me with a challenging look in her eye.

“Yeah she is attractive, but I’m not going to let her know that I think she is.” I say with a light chuckle. 

“Why not?” Pinoe asks. 

“Um if you haven’t noticed I happen to be madly in love with the most gorgeous women on the planet….?” I say looking at Pinoe like she had lost her mind, which wouldn’t be that far of a stretch. 

“Fair point.” Pinoe concedes with a head nod. 

“All right lets get out of here so we can get ready to tear up that bar tonight!” Kelley shouts, ending her statement with a loud hoot. 

……

“Lex?” I call out as I walk into her bedroom that we share. 

I’m confused on where she could be since the rest of the house was absence of her presence, but then hear music and commotion coming from her bathroom. I head towards it and stop when I see the sight in front of me. I lean against the doorframe with a silent sigh when I see Alex. 

Not knowing that I was observing her, Alex sways her hips to the beat of the music in a black dress that had a slip that showed off her long lean legs. The majority of her tan back was exposed, making me bite my lip as I picture scratching my nails down it, interrupting the smoothness of her skin. My eyes get pulled away from her lower back when she runs her hands through her hair, tasseling it, and moving it over the opposite shoulder. When I see her eyes move off the mirror to look through one of her makeup bags, I sneak silently up behind her and wrap my arms around her, dropping my head to her neck and inhaling deeply. 

“Mmm.” She simply hums out as she leans her head back against mine. We stand there, contently swaying slightly to the music. 

“I wish you didn’t have to go to this banquet.” I murmur into her neck. 

“I know me too, but it’s for a good cause.” She says before moving away from me only slightly so that she could resume putting on her makeup.

“You’re missing out on a fun night with the gals.” I call over my shoulder as I make my way to the closet, an outfit already in mind. 

I walk out of it 3 minutes later in a simple but stylish outfit: White raised sneakers, ripped black jeans, a leather jacket pulled over a loose white shirt, and my black snapback to top it off. I adjust the leather jacket as I walk back into the bathroom to see Alex, who in turn spins around when she sees me in the mirror. 

“Babeeeee why do you have to look so sexy when I don’t go out with you.” She whines, as she walks over and runs her hand down my stomach. 

“I think I should be the one saying that.” I say with a light chuckle as I run my hand up the slit in her dress. I run my hand further up her leg, and right as I’m about to reach my destination, Alex slaps my hand away. 

“Uh uh uh.” She taunts me, biting her lip and I groan at her denying me. 

“I’ll be waiting for you when you get home.” She whispers into my ear seductively before kissing me on the cheek and walking out the bathroom. With a sigh I follow her out. 

30 minutes later I find myself being dragged by Kelley into a modern bar that was too crowded for my liking. Kelley drags me through what feels like hundreds of people until she comes to a stop in front of a secluded corner that Ruby and some other people were sitting in. 

“Yes you guys finally made it!” She claps her hands, popping up to her feet. 

“Shots for everyone!” She says, twirling her finger in a circle. 

It seemed like shots magically appeared in front of us and Ruby is shoving them into our hands before we can even argue. We tip back the glasses, and I cringe at the sharp taste of vodka on my tongue. 

“Ugh. I hate vodka.” I say to no one in particular as I shake my head in disgust. 

“I’ll make sure to get some Cruzan over here next time.” Ruby says to me with a wink. 

“That would be much appreciated over this.” I motion to the empty glass in my hand with a chuckle before sitting down on the couch next to Kling. 

Over the next hour, we consume multiple shots and drinks, and at this point I’m more then a little tipsy. Bored with the scene of people dancing in front of me, I pull out my phone, scrolling through social media. I’m aimlessly browsing through the search window on instagram when something catches my eye. I click on the photograph and I feel my blood go cold. 

Right in front of me on my phone, I see Alex tucked into Servando’s side, his arm draped low on her waist posing for photographs at the banquet. With shaking fingers I click on the photographers username. My heart stops as I see multiple pictures of Alex and Servando posing together, looking happily at one another, and the one that gets me the most is the 9th picture I click on. Servando had pulled Alex tightly into his side and was giving her a kiss on the cheek as Alex looks down, smiling happily. 

I shove my phone into my pocket, finishing the rest of my full drink, before sitting in a daze, and staring ahead of me, chest heaving. I don’t know how long I sit there, lost in my own thoughts before someone rustles me from them.

“Hey! Whatcha starin at Tobs?” Ashlyn asks as she plops her self down on the sofa beside me. 

“Nothing. Hey I’m headed out, I think I had one too many drinks and I’m not feeling so hot.” I say, abruptly standing. 

“Oh if you want me t-“ She begins. 

“No. Stay, enjoy the rest of your night, I’m fine I’m just gonna catch a cab.” I say to her and walk away before she can respond. 

I’ve almost made it to the exit when I feel an arm snake around my bicep, pulling me to a stop. I spin around and am only slightly surprised when I see Ruby standing in front of me. 

“Where ya goin beaut?” She asks me, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

“Home.” I say with finality. 

“Well, if you get bored, come back and find me.” She says once she realizes my serious tone and attitude. 

With that I walk out of the club, hailing a cab as I walk. Once I get home, I walk straight to the liquor cabinet that is in the living room. I grab a tumbler and bottle of dark liquid, not caring what it was. I shrug out of my leather jacket and sit down on the couch, pouring myself a large glass of the amber liquid before downing it in one gulp. I wince as the whiskey burns its way down my throat, and pour myself another, drinking all of it in one gulp once again. Becoming numb to the taste of it, I pour yet another, but this time lean back into the couch in a daze, nursing my drink slowly. 

I don’t know how long I sit on the couch for, but I do realize that when I hear the sound of a door opening, I had drunken most of the bottle in front of me. I slowly turn around to see who it is and my face hardens when I see that it’s Alex, who seems surprised to see me sitting on the couch alone. 

“Tobin, what are you doing here?” She says as she places her purse on the counter and walks towards me. 

“Tobin? Tobin did you drink all of this?” She asks me as she picks up the bottle in shock. 

I sit in silence, anger bubbling inside of me at the sight of her acting concerned about me. 

“Toby, baby, are you ok?” She says when she looks up at my face. I take another sip from my glass before speaking, looking straight past her. 

“Who were you with tonight?” 

“W-What? Tobin what does that have to do with anything? Why the hell did you drink almost a fifth of whiskey?” Alex says trying to take the drink out of my hand but my grip on it is firm. 

“Who the hell were you with tonight?” I ask slowly, annunciating each word. 

“It was a banquet, I was with a lot of people tonight.” She says confused. 

“Anyone in particular?” I ask quietly, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Alex pause. I turn my full attention onto her, and I can see the slight panic wash over her face as she opens her mouth to say something. 

“Tob-“

“Were you ever going to tell me? Or were you hoping to keep it a little secret?” I spit out, taking yet another sip of my drink. 

“Tobin listen to me, it wasn’t my choice! I was there and he just showed up! It wa-“

“Bullshit Alex!!” I yell standing up and slamming my drink down on the table in front of me. 

“As if you didn’t know that he would be there!! C’mon Alex how stupid do you think I am?! Is this how it’s gonna be?! You telling me that you’re going out for an event and then I have to find out through social media that HE is there, and not only that but is YOUR DATE?!?! How do you think that makes me feel Alex?!” I shout in a rage as I pace in front of her. When she remains silent, I spin to face her. 

“Do you have anything to say?!” I ask and she looks at me, eyes begging as her mouth moves but no sound comes out. I scrunch my face up in disgust and grab my leather jacket off of the back of the couch, beginning to walk out the door, but stop at the last minute. 

“I fucking love you Alex. I love you with all of my heart and I hoped that you’d feel the same way about me. I would never not tell you something like this Alex. It really fucking hurts.” I croak out, feeling tears well up in my eyes as I look back to find her kneeling in the same position. When she makes no movement I let out a choked humorless chuckle before stumbling out the door. 

30 minutes later I find myself sitting down next to someone, who turn around to me in surprise. 

“Tobin, what are you doing back?” Ruby asks me in disbelief. 

“I’m bored.” I tell her with a simple smile. 

“Well sweetheart, a few minutes with me, and you wont be for long.” She says smiling back at me, handing me a shot. 

I take the shot, and lean back into the couch closing my eyes, letting the pounding of the music take over my body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you guys must hate me for being gone for FOREVER, but Christmas break is right around the corner so I should be able to update more! Oh and about my new story, it's coming along great guys! Like... I'm super pumped about it. But I really can't decide if I should go with Talex or Preath. I know you guys voted for Talex, and I seriously take everything you guys say into consideration because I am writing for YOU, but the further into the story I go, the more I feel like Christen would fit the character made for Alex more.... I don't know it's still a working progress and nothing is set in stone until I decide to publish it. Anyways hope you enjoyed the chapter, tell me what you think!


	43. Waffles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW. I know, no words needed.

Ruby hands me yet another shot after I come back from the bathroom, which I don’t even hesitate to knock back. She pulls me down to sit on the couch and I find myself between Ruby and a girl I don’t know. I sit with Ruby and her friends for what seems like hours, taking more shots then I should take. As the night goes on, Ruby becomes touchier with me, but I brush it off as her being drunk and friendly. I’m in the middle of listening to Ruby’s friend, Rob, tell me a story of him surfing in Fiji when I feel lips against my neck. 

I turn my head towards the body next to me, and my lips connect with another unfamiliar pair. In my drunken state, it takes me longer to react then I would if I were sober, pulling away after about 5 seconds. I open my eyes and see Ruby looking down at my lips. 

“What are you doing?” I ask her, leaning away. 

“Well there must be a reason you came back to drink with me.” Ruby husks out. 

“I just didn’t want to be in the house.” I slurred, backing away from her. 

I look around, coming to my senses and stand suddenly, drunkenly swaying on the spot. 

“Tobin come on don’t leave.” I hear Ruby say to me and I shake my head as I stumble to the door.

I climb into one of the cabs that are waiting outside of the club, and give out the directions to Alex’s house. I arrive back to Alex’s house, giving the driver a twenty before basically falling out of the cab. 

I walk through the backyard, drunkenly patting myself on the back because I didn’t want to wake people up at 3 in the morning. My hand is on the handle of the sliding glass door, when I hear a sniffle over the wind. I turn around and see a figure sitting on the hill overlooking LA. 

I turn back to the door, almost opening it, knowing that it is Alex on the hill. I sigh, leaning my head against the glass before pushing off of it and walking towards Alex’s huddled figure. 

At the sound of my footsteps, Alex whirls around and has a surprised expression on her face at the sight of me. I hesitate, my gate faltering, before I push through and sit down close to Alex, but still have about two inches between us. We sit in silence, looking down at the city below us, waiting for someone to break the silence. Finally I speak up after the silence between us becomes unbearable. 

“I’m sorry.” I say quietly. Alex’s head quickly turns to me, almost as if she were confused why I was the one apologizing. 

“Why are you sorry?” 

“I overreacted.” I confess. 

“I should have told you.” 

“Yeah well I should have trusted you.”

“But-“ She tries to argue but I interrupt her.

“I should have trusted you. I do trust you. I don know why I didn’t. Sometimes I have trust issues, but I shouldn’t have freaked out.” 

“There’s history between you and Servando, it’s understandable.” Alex says, putting a hand on top of mine. 

For some reason that small act makes me incredibly emotional. 

“I’m sorry Alex, I’m sorry.” I fervently mumble out, throwing myself into Alex’s arms. Alex catches me, looking down in befuddlement.

“Tobin…”

“I’m sorry for yelling at you, I shouldn’t have done that. I love you so much.” 

“You-“

“Alex I love you so much, you have to know that. I love you with all of my heart.” I drunkenly profess to her. 

“I love you too Tobs.” Alex chuckles out softly, stroking my hair gently. 

“Ruby kissed me.” I state quietly. 

“I know babe I saw.” 

“No I-I went back to the club because I wanted to drink and I kept taking shots and we were sitting beside each other and she kissed me.” I admit, slurring my words as I try to speed through the confession. 

“She kissed you again?” Alex says with a neutral tone. 

“Yeah but Alex I broke it off as soon she kissed me, it didn’t mean anything. You’re the only one that I want.” I say looking up at Alex’s face that shows no emotion. 

My heart drops when Alex starts to stand and I scramble to my knees, my words coming out in a jumble as I try to fix the situation. 

“Come back to bed with me and show me that I’m the only one you want.” She seductively mutters into my ear.

I gaze up into her eyes and see her staring down at me, her blue eyes shining intensely. I bite my lip as I slowly rise to my feet, reaching out for Alex’s hand so I can pull her into me. 

“Baby I’m gonna show you how you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.” I whisper into her ear, giving it a small nibble before dragging her inside behind me. 

Alex’s POV

I wake up the next morning and look around to find myself naked and alone in my bed. Before I can even pull the sheets off of me, Tobin makes her way into the room. She has a look of extreme concentration as she balances a tray between her hands. She looks up and smiles brightly when she sees that I am awake and sitting up in bed. 

“Morning babe!” She says to me happily, making her way carefully over. 

She sets down the tray on the bedside table and I crawl over to peer at its contents. There are two plates, each filled with blueberry waffles and bacon. On the side is a large bowl of whipped cream and glass bottle of syrup. 

“Tobin did you make all of this?” I ask, my mouth watering at the heavenly scent. 

“Yeah, I even made the whipped cream, here try some!” She excitedly exclaims. She swipes her finger through some of the cream and brings her finger up to my mouth. I open my mouth and twirl my tongue around her finger, humming in appreciation at the sweet taste. 

“Mmmm that is so good.” I compliment and watch as something passes over Tobin’s face. 

“Hey baby will you do me a favor?” 

“Yeah what do you need?” I ask her. 

“Will you lay down so I can lick this whipped cream off of your naked body?” She asks me sweetly. 

I feel my body come to life at Tobin’s request, and eagerly lay down for her. Tobin sets the bowl of ripped cream on the bed, but out of the way as she climbs on top of me. She’s leaning down, about to connect her lips with mine when I stop her. 

“Wait. Before you start, this needs to go.” I say tugging on her large t-shirt and Tobin quickly rips her shirt off. 

“The boxers too.” I demand. Tobin gets out of bed and wordlessly strips off her boxers as she stares into my eyes. 

Tobin crawled back into bed blindly, both of us unable to tear our gaze away from one another. Tobin bends her neck down connecting our lips, and I hear the low groan in her throat turn into a ravenous growl. My hands dance over Tobin’s skin, tracing along the lines of her ribs. 

Tobin props herself up on one elbow, reaching for the bowl of whipped cream. She takes two fingers and scoops a generous amount out. Tobin adjust herself so that she is straddling my waist, and I can’t help but bite my lip at how sexy Tobin looks above me with nothing on. 

I watch as she licks her lips, and smears the cream across my nipples with her mouth slightly open due to lust. Tobin leans down and makes eye contact with me before closing her mouth over one of my covered nipples. I arch my back at the sensation of Tobin’s tongue licking up the whipped cream as she thrust her hips into my core. 

My chest is heaving as Tobin circles her stiffened tongue around my nipples, switching between breasts. My hands get tangled in the back of her hair as I pull her for her lips to meet mine, not being able to take her lips on my nipples anymore. Her tongue instantly tangling with mine as her hips continue to grind into mine, turning me on to the point that I can hardly speak. 

“Tobin. Tobin please. Babe. I need-I need more. Baby please.” I moan out against her lips. I know Tobin is just as far gone as I am because her breath is ragged against my lips even though I had hardly touched her. 

Tobin slinks her way down my body, dipping her fingers once more into the whipped cream. She drags her fingers across my lips and I gasp at coolness of the cream coming into contact with my hot core. She removes her fingers and I don’t even have time to complain about this missing pressure when I feel warmth surround me. 

“Tobin.” I breathe out, my hands finding the back of her head again. 

My hips move on their own as I feel Tobin lick away the cream teasingly. She stiffens her tongue before dipping it as deep as she could into my center. Her hands have to hold down my hips because they are bucking so much. Her mouth moves up, making its way to my clit before sucking gently on it. 

“Tobin.” I groan out, my head rolling on the pillow. 

Tobin runs her tongue roughly between my lips one more time before crawling up my body and kissing me fiercely. I moan deep into Tobin’s mouth as I taste the combination of my arousal and whipped cream on Tobin’s tongue. Tobin traces the inside of my mouth with her tongue as she enters two fingers into me. 

My chest starts to ache as my breathing picks up at an even higher rate then it already was. I run my nails down Tobin’s back, trying to pull her as close as I could to me. Our bodies slide together due to the sweat built up between us, making it easier for our bodies to move against one another. As Tobin starts to curl her fingers inside of me, my body starts to keen into Tobin, wanting more and more from her. 

“God yes Tobin.” I exhale, starting to feel my legs shake under me. 

“I love you. Baby I love you.” Tobin chants against my lips, barely loud enough to hear over the pounding in my ears and my moans. 

Tobin moves her thumb until it’s making small circles over my clit, and the combination of that and her long fingers curling inside me push me over the edge. I gasp into her mouth and pull her impossibly closer as my body convulses underneath her. I bite her shoulder, moaning into it as she continues to slowly pump into me. My head falls back onto my pillow when my orgasm finally ends, completely drained. 

Tobin places kisses everywhere, hardly letting an inch of skin go by without placing her lips on it. She collapses next to me in the pillows and tangled sheets, breathing just as hard as I am. I let my head loll to the side and see that she’s looking at me with a shit-eating grin on her face. 

“What?” I laugh out. 

“That was awesome.” She chuckles back, still smiling wide. 

“Oh did you enjoy that?” I tease. 

“Almost as much as you.” She states, arousal still blazing in her eyes. 

“Let’s see about that.” I say rolling on top of her, while one hand reaches for the bowl of whipped cream. 

….

“Hey Tobin.” I say, getting her attention. 

We’re both wrapped up loosely in the sheets, lying against one another in sexual exhaustion as we eat the now cold blueberry waffles. 

“Yeah babe?” She asks, looking up at me, her mouth full of bacon and waffle with a little bit of syrup on her lips.

“These are really fucking good waffles.” I grin at her and she returns it with an eye-crinkling smile. 

“These are really fucking good waffles.” She confirms with a nod before turning back to them, and I honestly can’t picture a more perfect morning then this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long guys, hope you still have some love in your heart for this story! Hit me up on my tumblr WolfgangRythem if you have any questions or want to chat!


	44. I Don't Know

The next month goes by without a hitch. The band and I finish recording our first record and Ted continues to tell us how excited he is to see the response to the release since Warner Bros. has been advertising us pretty heavily. 

Ruby comes up to me the Monday morning after the club incident apologizing profusely, promising to remain professional for the remanding time we have left working together. This doesn’t stop Alex from giving Ruby a death glare every time she stops by the studio though. 

On the last Friday of the month Alex and I find ourselves in her closet, getting dressed for the party that Warner Bros. is throwing for us for our album release. The band members have outfits that correspond with one another. The company had chosen for me to wear black ripped jeans, a simple red, but somehow still ridiculously expensive, V-neck with a new leather jacket. They wanted us to look relaxed but sleek and stylish. Alex had decided to go with a red dress that showed her back, dipping so low that I swear if she moved a certain way everyone was going to see her ass. 

We arrive at the party, everyone congratulating us and handing us champagne as we walk in, but my attention is on the side of the building, and I turn and smile at Alex at the sight in front of me. Suddenly I hear Kelley gasp behind me and whirl around to see the shocked expression on her face. She thrusts her champagne glass into Kling’s hand, spilling half of it on her, as she runs through the crowd across the room to Ann who is smiling at her brilliantly. Kelley runs right up to Ann, jumping in her arms, and Ann catches her at the last second. 

I turn my attention to Ash behind me, and see her walking slowly in the same direction as Kelley had ran, her mouth slightly open in awe. 

“Al?” She calls out too softly for Ali to possibly hear it over the crowd and across the room. 

“Ali?” She says a little louder, her pace picking up as she strides to Ali. She crashes into Ali, crushing her in a hug as she buries her face into her neck. 

Kling and Pinoe let out cries of joy when they see their family members appear out of the crowd. I turn to Alex, a wide smile on my face at the reaction our friends had to the surprise she had thought of. I’m about to say something when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I spin around and my mouth drops when I see my mom beaming in front of me. 

“Mom?!?!” I shout and slam into her, wrapping my arms tightly around her. 

“You told me that you couldn’t come!” I say once I had separated from her. 

“A little white lie doesn’t hurt anyone. Besides, how could I pass flying in a movie star’s private jet.” She teases me, looking over my shoulder at Alex.

“Alex dear it’s so nice to see you. Thank you so much for flying all of us out here.” My mom thanks Alex who nods her head graciously. 

“It was my pleasure Mrs. Cindy.” 

“I don’t think you know what it means to some of these families that you flew them out here and are also taking care of their lodging.” My mom says to her and Alex just blushes at her generosity. 

“So this toast- oh where is that champagne I just saw someone pass with it, ah here we go!” She says handing us both a flute of champagne before raising it in the air. 

“A toast to Alex, who has brought so much joy into my daughter and my own life.” My mom states, and I raise my glass high in the air to that. There’s a resounding cheer in the air as everyone drinks to my mother’s toast and Alex smiles humbly at me. 

After Paul toast announces the release tomorrow and gives us a toast, everyone breaks apart, going there own way to enjoy the party. I look around, taking in how happy my band members are. Ash and Ali hadn’t left each other’s sides, and I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen Ash remove her arm from around Ali’s waist. 

It’s only a half an hour after the toast that I notice that Kelley and Ann had disappeared. I see them an hour later, their hair slightly fussed and I roll my eyes when Kelley winks my way. 

I make my way around the room, shaking hands with dozens of people who congratulate me, as my eyes stay on Alex’s back. She had been occupied most of the night, clients, directors, and producers all wanting to talk to her. The party is winding down and so is my patience as I’ve been waiting to take Alex’s dress off ever since she had put it on. 

“Excuse us for a second gentleman.” I say to the older men that were talking with Alex prior to dragging her away. I lead her into the bathroom, locking the door before slamming her against it, my lips following closely after. 

“I think it’s time for us to leave.” I say, each word punctuated by a kiss, my hands roaming down Alex’s exposed back. 

“I agree. If I had to talk to one more director that was surreptitiously trying to get me to do a music video I was going to scream.” She chuckles into my mouth. 

“Lets get out of here then.” I kiss her one more time before straightening my jacket and running my fingers through my hair. 

I say goodbye to my mom, promising that we would get breakfast the next morning, and follow Alex’s enticing hips out of the door and into a cab. 

“I can’t wait to get you home and show you how grateful I am for tonight.” I whisper into her ear, my hand slipping under her dress to rest on her upper thigh. 

“Looking forward to it.” Alex says, giving it right back to me with a sly smile on her face. 

…..

I wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of a phone ringing. Alex groans and rolls over, answering it with a sleepy greeting. She only listens for a few seconds before sitting up in bed, completely alert. 

“What?!” She cries out, causing me to sit up in bed, a worried expression on my face. 

Alex’s hand is covering her mouth as she begins to tremble. Sobs soon follow and my worry grows because Alex’s reaction to the phone call. She puts the phone down and falls into me, sobs shaking through her chest. 

“Alex, Alex what’s wrong?!” 

“T-T-T” Alex stutters.

“Alex what happened??” 

“T-Tony h-he he.” Alex tries to get out but her words are incoherent.

“Baby what’s wrong? Breathe.” 

“Tony g-got hit b-b-by a drunk dr-dr-drive-er.” She sputters out and my stomach drops instantly.

“Alex…” 

“He’s d-dead.” She chokes out and tears form in my eyes as I realize Alex has lost yet another loved one to drunk drivers. 

“Alex, I’m so so sorry baby.” I whisper into her ear, pulling her body until she’s lying completely on top of me. 

“I-I-I have to go to the hospital.” Alex mutters out into my shoulder. 

“Baby are you sure you wa-“ 

“He was the only family I had left and I was the only family he had.” She whispers and I feel my jaw begin to tremble at the amount of pain Alex has had to endure in the last year. 

“Ok baby ok.” I say past the lump in my throat. 

I basically dress Alex myself because she’s so out of it, and wrap my arms around her as I lead her to the car. We arrive at the hospital at 2:53 am. Alex has her hood up. Covering her splotchy face and tear stained cheeks. I hold her hand as we are lead to the room Tony is in, trying my best to be a rock for her. 

Upon seeing Tony’s body, a cry escapes from Alex and she stumbles to his side, falling on her knees as she takes his lifeless hand in hers. Her lips tremble as she kisses the knuckles on his hand before she closes her eyes, her whole body shaking with sobs as she kneels in front of the remainder of the last adult in her life. 

I look at the doctor who is watching sadly from the corner and walk over to her. 

“When did he come in?” I ask quietly. 

“He came in at 2:16.” She responds just as quietly. 

“And was he..” I drift off and she catches on. 

“He was killed on impact, probably didn’t even know he was hit. The driver came around the curve and rammed into the driver’s side going 80 mph.” She informs me in a hushed tone, glancing at Alex who is mourning over Tony’s body. 

“What about the driver?” I ask and watch the doctor’s eyes harden and jaw clench.

“He had a couple of scratches, but walked out of his car.” She tells me and rage fills my body.

“Fucking hell.” I mutter looking at Alex who hadn’t moved from her spot. 

“She lost both her parents to drunk drivers just a year ago, and now this…” I mutter quietly, swallowing roughly at the thought. 

When the doctor remains silent, I look to my right and see that the doctor is wiping a tear that had made it’s way down her cheek. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for your lost, I’m going to leave you two alone and make sure you aren’t bothered for a while. The um, the coroner will be coming in about 20 minutes however. “ She notifies me. 

“Thank you.” I say gratefully and she gives me a sad smile before walking out the room. 

My attention turns to Alex, and my heart shatters at the sight of her. I drag the chair from the corner of the room, moving it to the side of the bed. I pick up Alex from the floor, and sit her down in my lap, letting her curl into me. 

We watch the coroner come and go, Alex never moving an inch, completely drained from the events of tonight. We remain in the chair for a significant amount of time after Tony had been taken away. 

“Why do bad things happen to good people?” Alex hiccups out and I kiss the side of her softly. 

“I don’t know Alex, I don’t know.”


	45. Chinese and Movies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys tell me what you're thinking about the story so far. Any guesses as to what might happen next??

Alex remains quiet for the next two weeks. My mom stayed for the first week, watching over Alex while I went in to the studio to work on recording more of our songs.

 

Tony’s funeral was today, and I watched over Alex throughout the whole event, surprising me when she lets only a single tear run down her cheek.

 

I walk out on the balcony a few hours afterwards, finding Alex curled up on the couch outside.

 

“I got assigned a new agent.” Alex croaks out, her voice rougher then normal from speaking so little over the last week.

 

“Do you like him?” I ask and Alex shrugs.

 

“I don’t really care, no one can replace Tony.” She says and I nod my head in agreement.

 

“Hey baby.” I say after about 15 minutes of silence to get Alex’s attention.

 

“I’m going to be gone for a few hours tonight, but I’ll be back as soon as I can ok?” I tell her and watch as Alex’s eyes scrunch together, and sadness flashes in her eyes.

 

“Why? I wanted to watch movies and order Chinese tonight.”

 

“Alex, you know how much I love Chinese and movies with you but I have to go to a get together tonight.” I explain and watch as annoyance crosses her face.

 

“You’re leaving me to go to a party?” She asks and I open and close my mouth, trying to find a way to why I had to go.

 

Taking my silence as me trying to find an excuse, Alex rolls her eyes and stands. I walk behind her as she storms off.

 

“Alex I have to go!” I call after her in a pleading tone.

 

“Why?!” She demands to know as she whirls around to face me, her hair flying with the ferocity of it.

 

“Why are you leaving me alone to go to a party when you know how hard these two weeks, let alone today, has been for me?! They just put the last person that looked after me in the fucking ground today Tobin!” She rages and my heart clenches when I see tears finding their familiar place on her cheeks.

 

I open my mouth to answer, but Alex cuts me off, continuing her rant.

 

“What? Going to go to a party and get drunk with Ruby? Going to kiss her again? Are you? Huh?!” Alex yells furiously, shoving both of her hands into my chest with every sentence, causing me to stumble back.

 

On her last shove, she pushes me hard and I trip over the rug, falling down and knocking down a vase of flowers as I go. The vase shatters, and I land right on the glass. I hiss as I can feel dozens of pieces of glass pierce the skin on my forearm. I look up to Alex in shock, watching the angry tears roll down her cheeks.

 

“If you’re going to do that then leave! Leave just like everyone else in my life has left me!” She shouts brokenly at me.

 

I stand, wincing at the feel of glass moving in my arm. Out of the corner of my eye I see Kling come around the corner, checking on the abnormally loud noise, considering how quiet the last two weeks have been, coming from the living room. Her eyes go wide when she sees the blood running down my arm and dripping on to the floor. Her mouth opens to say something but I shake my head and she slowly turns around, looking over her shoulder before disappearing through the door.

 

“Warner Bros. is throwing us a party for our album turning platinum, I have to go.” I mumble gently, not wanting to raise my voice at Alex. I watch as the anger and hurt on her face turn into wonder.

 

“What?” She asks quietly.

 

“ I have to go, but I promise I’ll leave as soon as I can. I only plan on having a glass of champagne for the toast so I can get back to yo-“

 

“You’re album went platinum?” She asks softly and I nod my head.

 

“You’re first album went platinum in two weeks?” She asks and I nod my head once again.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“Alex, you had so much on your mind.” I sigh out, running my hands down the back of neck.

 

“Yeah but this is huge Tobin!” She explains, rushing to me and putting her hands on my waist.

 

“Yeah the girls are really excited.” I shyly say, a small smile finding my face.

 

“I couldn’t even tell that you guys were excited about something.” Alex says, a far away look on her face as she thinks about her interactions, or lack of, with the girls the last few days.

 

“I told them to tamper down their excitement in front of you.” I shrug my shoulders and guilt crosses Alex’s face quickly.

 

“Oh baby I’m so sorry, I should have noticed something was up. Oh my god I feel so terrible now.”

 

“It’s ok Alex, you’ve had a lot going on in the last two weeks.”

 

“Oh my god.” Realization hits her and she looks up at me with wide eyes.

 

“And here I am, yelling at you for being a terrible person for going to your own congratulatory party. Oh my god, I’m the worst person ever, I said such awful things to you.” Alex says, covering her mouth with her hand, tears coming to her eyes.

 

“Oh my god look what I did to your arm!” She exclaims in horror, pointing to my left arm that had blood running down it.

 

“Baby it’s ok.” I say, pulling her into a one arm hug, not wanting to get any blood on her.

 

“I’m so sorry Tobin, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of it.” She cries into my shoulder.

 

“I know you didn’t.” I assure her.

 

“Hey, look at me.” I say after a few minutes of her silently crying into my shoulder.

 

She lifts her head up and I wipe away her tears before kissing her gently.

 

“I love you.” I whisper against her lips and she blubbers pathetically.

 

“You’re so good to me, I don’t deserve you.” She responds, running her hands over my cheeks.

 

“Come here , I wanna show you something.” I say leading her once again to the balcony.

 

“Stay here and give me 10 minutes.” I say once she’s sitting on the couch, before running inside.

 

I make my way to the bathroom first, wincing when I see the reflection of my arm in the mirror. I quickly clean my cuts, pulling out the glass before grabbing the first aid kit out of the closet and swiftly wrap my forearm in gauze and bandages. I make a pit stop in Alex and I’s shared room, grabbing my guitar, before headed out on to the balcony.

 

“I wrote something for you.” I tell her with a soft smile, adjusting the guitar in my lap.

 

[Hold You In My Arms- Ray LaMontagne](https://youtu.be/mJN7xKPE01w)

**When you came to me with your bad dreams and your fears**

**It was easy to see that you'd been crying**

**Seems like everywhere you turn catastrophe it reigns**

**But who really profits from the dying**

**I could hold you in my arms**

**I could hold you forever**

**I could hold you in my arms**

**I could hold you in my arms forever**

**When you kissed my lips with my mouth so full of questions**

**It's my worried mind that you quiet**

**Place your hands on my face**

**Close my eyes and say**

**Love is a poor man's food**

**With no proper side**

**I could hold you in my arms**

**I could hold you forever**

**And I could hold you in my arms**

**I could hold you forever**

**So now we see how it is**

**This fist begets the spear**

**Weapons of war**

**Symptoms of madness**

**Don't let your eyes refuse to see**

**Don't let your ears refuse to hear**

**Or you ain't never going to shake this sense of sadness**

**I could hold you in my arms**

**I could hold on forever**

**And I could hold you in my arms**

**I could hold forever**

Alex cries silently as I serenade to her, only sniffling once throughout the song. When I finish the last note, Alex takes the guitar out of my hand, and sets it down gently before scooting over until I’m cradling her in my arms. We sit in silence, letting the warm sea air hit our face and listening to the sound of the ocean crash into the shore. I hear footsteps and both of us turn our head to see Kelley, who is already dressed, walking up to us.

 

“Hey Tobs, we have to leave in like twenty minutes.” Kelley says hesitantly.

 

“Ok, I’ll change in a sec.” I sigh out.

 

Kelley turns to leave but spins on her foot and goes to Alex, placing a kiss on her head before skipping off.

 

“I’ll be back in a few hours ok? And then we can stay up all night, eating Chinese and watching movies until we pass out.” I say and Alex nods her head with a small smile on her face.

 

I go to stand but Alex calls out my name, motioning for me to come back. I do so and Alex pulls me by neck into a deep sensual kiss. I respond enthusiastically, leaning into the kiss more. Alex hadn’t actually kiss me in two weeks, and I wasn’t passing up the opportunity. Alex slips her tongue into my mouth and a moan escapes from the back of my throat at the familiar excitement coursing through my body.

 

“Go to your party and then come back home to me.” Alex says after breaking away.

 

I make my way through the door when I hear Alex call after me again. I spin around, sticking my head around the doorframe to see what she might need. 

“Thank you.” She says softly. 

“Always.” I answer immediately. 

“I love you.” 

“I love you too.” I say with a smile before rushing off to get dressed.


	46. Wasted Youth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I usually don't ask for you to check out the songs I put along with my story, but I'm going to make an exception with this one. Go check out Wasted Youth by Fletcher, it's an awesome song. And then if you like it, check out the remix of it done by Trap City. Hope you enjoy the update!

“So Derek this is the band I was telling you would make an amazing addition to your soundtrack.” Paul informs a man that is sitting in a chair as we walk in.

 

“Hello, nice to meet you sir.” I say shaking his hand as he stands. We go about introducing one another before sitting down and turning our attention to Paul.

 

“Derek I feel like Wolfgang Rythem would fit into your soundtrack for Youth perfectly. They have the right sound and they are a new and upcoming band that will without a doubt, be a major impact on the music industry in only a few months.” Paul guarantees.

 

“Do you have something for me to listen to?” Derek asks considerately.

 

“Actually we read the script, amazing movie by the way, and put together something.” Kling speaks up.

 

“Didn’t I just send that over a few days ago?” Derek asks in amazement.

 

“They’re good Derek. How about we go listen to them.” Paul stands, putting an arm around Derek’s shoulders and walking him out.

 

“Ok whenever you guys are ready!” Ted says through the speaker, giving us a thumbs up.

 

I look over at Alex, who had been waiting patiently in the recording room while we were in our meeting, and send her a wink. She smiles brightly back at me, sneakily blowing me a kiss. I take a deep breath; look back at the gals to make sure they are ready, before turning back to the microphone.

 

[Wasted Youth- Fletcher](https://youtu.be/tCX2axvbE4o)

 

 

**We got a lot of time to get it right**

**It feels good to mess it up, maybe don't think about it**

**Going late night who needs a fantasy**

**Buzzing on Hennessy**

**Class like a Kennedy**

**And you're my nation, my revolution**

**Living right now, well you can call it disillusioned**

**Until tomorrow comes**

**This is how we run**

**So take the good stuff, honey**

**The money just won't buy**

**Spend it up however we like**

**So take the good stuff, honey**

**The money just won't buy**

**Don't try to save us**

**Cause we're doing it right**

**We are, we are the wasted youth**

**We are, we are the wasted youth**

**It's my life**

**If I'm gonna waste it**

**Gonna waste it on you**

**It's my life**

**If I'm gonna waste it**

**I'll be wasted on you**

**Look what you did to me**

**A rebel born free**

**Running wild through the concrete jungle**

**Now I can't seem to stay away**

**Hell, I know that I'm gonna pay**

**But I do it anyway**

**You're the ultimate high that I'm tripping on**

**You're the edge of the cliff that I'm hanging on**

**Until tomorrow comes**

**This is how we run**

**So take the good stuff, honey**

**The money just won't buy**

**Spend it up however we like**

**So take the good stuff, honey**

**The money just won't buy**

**Don't try to save us**

**Cause we're doing it right**

**We are, we are the wasted youth**

**We are, we are the wasted youth**

**It's my life**

**If I'm gonna waste it**

**Gonna waste it on you**

**It's my life**

**If I'm gonna waste it**

**I'll be wasted on you**

**I tell myself**

**If I'm gonna fall**

**It'll be from high places**

**Even when it hurts**

**At least we loved hard**

**Didn't we, baby?**

**We are, we are the wasted youth**

**We are, we are the wasted youth**

**We are, we are the wasted youth**

**We are, we are the wasted youth**

**It's my life**

**If I'm gonna waste it**

**Gonna waste it on you**

**It's my life**

**If I'm gonna waste it**

**I'll be wasted on you**

We finish the song, and I look up, making eye contact with Alex who is smiling brightly at me. I turn my attention to Paul, who waves for us to enter the room.

 

“Paul, you know I hate admitting this, but you were one hundred percent right. That was incredible ladies.” Derek compliments us.

 

“Thank you sir.” We all murmur out.

 

“I want this track.” Derek says to Paul, pointing to us as he looks at Paul seriously. “I want this track bad. If I can help it, it’s going to be used for the trailer and the featured song on this soundtrack.” He continues.

 

“I told you they were good.” Paul says with a smile.

 

“It didn’t take much convincing, let’s go sign this contract before someone else scoops you up.” Derek chuckles, walking out the door without a backwards glance.

 

…..

 

“This cant be right.” I say as I hold the piece of paper that Paul had just given to the five of us after Derek had left.

 

“I’m pretty sure it’s right.” Paul says with a twinkle in his eyes.

 

I glance over at my band mates, each with disbelief written across their faces.

 

“I wanted the first time you get this to be from me.” He says, shrugging his shoulders.

 

I look back down at the small rectangular piece of paper in my hand, reading the printed numbers on it.

 

$601,226.17

 

“I-I” I stutter out and Paul chuckles at our shocked faces.

 

“Is it really that hard to believe?”

 

“Yes!” We all say instantly causing him to chuckle again.

 

“Look you guys are good, really good. Don’t doubt yourself.”

 

“Yeah but $600,000 in a month?!” That’s crazy!” Kelley speaks up.

 

“Just wait for your second album when people know you. I already have people calling me about using you for more soundtracks in their movies. “

 

“Really?” Kling asks in wonder. Paul looks over our faces, before putting his hands on his desk.

 

“When Ted called me in that day, I thought it would be a waste of my time. I’ve never been more wrong in my entire life. The moment I heard you play Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, I knew. I knew there was something special about you guys. You’ve earned this, now enjoy it.” He says good-naturedly pushing us out the door.

 

As we walk down the hallway, I look behind me to see Ashlyn walking slower then the rest of us. I stop until I’m even with her, putting my around her shoulder. Coming out of her daze, she wipes away the tears on her cheeks. When I see the other girls go around the corner, I pull Ash into a hug, and she breaks down on my shoulder.

 

I swallow the lump that is in my throat as I think about what this means to Ash. Her whole life, Ash barely had two dimes to rub together, always saving her money and never once had I seen her be excessive. The most I had ever seen her spend was when she took Ali out on their first date, bringing her to a nice steakhouse. Two weeks after that date, Ash basically only ate chicken, eggs, and rice.

 

“This can’t be real, this can’t be my life.” She sniffles into my shoulder, and I tightly hold her shaking body.

 

“It’s real Ash, we actually did it.” I whisper into her ear, rubbing my hands down her back.

 

“I-I can finally send my p-parents to rehab. I can help Chris out. I can get my grandma a car so she does-doesn’t have to take the bus.” She breaks down on me, and I basically have to hold her up as her knees give out on her.

 

It takes about five minutes for Ashlyn to compose herself. The girls had turned back around, sticking their heads around the corner before rushing over and joining the group hug. Ashlyn lets out a watery chuckle when she feels all of us surrounding her.

 

“ I love you guys.” She says, finally pulling away from me, wiping the tears and snot from her face.

 

“We love you too you big ol lug.” Pinoe says, ruffling Ash’s hair.

 

“So. Where to now?” I jokingly call out as we walk into the parking lot together.

 

“The bank!” Everyone shouts in joy.

 

….

 

We all decide that we want to live together. Alex contacts her realtor to help us find a place that was something we would all fit comfortably in and like. For the next week we go to dozens of apartments, never satisfied with it.

 

“Last one for the week, we’ll start next week if you guys don’t like this one.” Alex kisses the top of my head as I lay my head on her shoulder in the car.

 

“I swear we’ve been to a hundred places.” I groan out as we get out of the car, walking into the building.

 

When we walk in through the doors, I know immediately that this is the place. The place is a huge warehouse loft that is larger then anything we’ve visited yet. The loft has an upstairs area on both the west and east side of the area. It also had a huge area in the middle for us to rearrange however we wanted. The walls were made of old brick, the ceiling was astoundingly high, making the space look even larger, the floor was made of a dark wood, and the north wall offered an incredible amount of light due to the windows that consumed most of the wall. The best part of this warehouse loft is that it was a five-minute drive or twenty-minute walk to the beach.

 

“I love it.” I say instantly.

 

“Ditto.” Kelley shouts out as she races up the stairs.

 

“How much?” I ask the realtor behind me, still looking around the loft.

 

“It’s $12,500 a month.” He informs me.

 

“You guys ok with paying $2,500 a month?” I call out before hearing positive statements from everyone.

 

“We’ll take it.” I smile at the realtor.

 

“Fantastic, give me a few minutes and I’ll have the papers for you to sign.” He says prior to walking out the door.

 

“That’s my room.” I bellow out, pointing to the upper east room that is closest to the windows.

 

Instantaneously everyone starts calling out where their rooms would be. Kelley would be joining me on the Upper East Side, which she now refused to call it anything else and began to name all of the other areas. Kling is living on the Upper West Side. We decided to knock down one of the walls on the Upper West Side, making it an open area for messing around with all of our instruments. Pinoe and Ash would be living on the lower west side, or Greenwich Village as Kelley calls it.

 

We hear a pop and everyone’s heads turn to Kelley who is holding an open bottle of champagne.

 

“What? I didn’t know if we were going to find our next place today or not.” Kelley says.

 

“So you’ve been carrying around a bottle of champagne all day…?” Pinoe asks sarcastically.

 

“Andddd plastic flutes!” Kelley pulls out with flourish.

 

“Cheers” She says once everyone has a full flute “to the start of a greater adventure then we ever thought could be possible.” She toast and we all raise our plastic flutes in the air with a lively cheer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are we liking it so far guys? Anyone up for some angst soon?? 
> 
>  
> 
> But seriously, go watch/listen to Wasted Youth by Fletcher if you haven't.


	47. I Just Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .......hi?

“C’mon Tobin!” Kelley begs, pulling on my hand for emphasis. 

“I’m sooo tired, we’ve been grinding in the studio for the last week. Not including all of the interviews and podcast we’ve had to do!” I whine, sinking further back into the fluffy sofa cushions. 

“That’s exactly why you should come out!” Kelley says, now climbing onto my lap and placing both hands on my shoulders. 

“Come onnnn. Live a little! Ali even flew in for spring break 3 days early to come hang with us!” 

“No she flew in 3 days early to hang with Ashlyn.” I say scrunching my eyebrows together. 

“Come help me drink my sorrows away.” She pouts and I sigh, knowing that she was gonna play that card. Ann and Kelley had broken up earlier in the week. Ann claimed that the distance was too much and although Kelley took it well, she was still stinging a bit about it. 

“I’m just soooo tired Kel.” I sigh out. 

“What do I have to do to you to get you to come out and drink?” Kelley moans dramatically, squishing my cheeks so that she had my full attention. 

“What’s going on in here?” Alex’s voice rings out through the large room. 

“I’m trying to seduce your girlfriend into coming out for drinks tonight.” Kelley answers. 

“It’s not going very well.” I snort out. 

“Maybe I can be of assistance Kel.” Alex says slowly as she comes into my view. 

“Damn I knew I loved you Alex. Put that goddess of a body to good use.” Kelley says and promptly hops off of my lap, gives Alex a kiss on the cheek, and skips towards “the Upper East Side”. 

I open my mouth to complain to Alex when she straddles my lap, sufficiently silencing me. 

“So you don’t want to go out tonight?” Alex asks sweetly as she runs her hands through my baby hairs at the back of my neck. 

“Mmm I just wanted to relax tonight.” I mumble out as my head rolls back, already at the mercy of Alex’s hands. 

“What can I do to convince you?” She asks in a lower voice then before that sets my insides on fire. 

“I don’t know, throw out some options and we’ll see.” I answer back, circling my hands around her waist. 

“Well” Alex begins, leaning in until her lips are mere centimeters from my ear. “If you come out tonight, I’m going to dance with you all night long. Towards the middle of the night I’ll be so turned on from dancing up on your sexy body that I’m going to have to drag you into the bathroom and have my way with you.” She husks into my ear, slipping her hands underneath my shirt. She runs her nails down my stomach, and my eyes roll into the back of my head at the feeling. 

“And when we’re in the taxi ride home, I’ll still be so turned on from fucking each other in the bathroom that I’ll slip a finger into you. I’m going to tease you so much that you’re going to have to bite your lip to stop the moans from coming out of your mouth so the driver doesn’t know I’m fucking you in the backseat of his car.” 

“Alex.” I moan out loud, my hips arching at the thought of Alex actually carrying through with the mentioned actions. 

“When we get home, you’re going to be so turned on that you’re going to pick me up and carry me up the stairs and slam me onto the bed. You’re gonna be so impatient you’re going to rip off my new lingerie. It’s black by the way. And if all that hasn’t convinced you, if you come out I’ll let you handcuff me to your bed.” Alex says, ending her statement by biting my earlobe before pulling back. 

“I know I’ve said this before, but you are so god damn fucking sexy.” I growl out. 

I wrap my arms tighter around her waist and twist her so that she’s lying on the couch with me on top of her, causing her to let out a laugh. 

“So that’s a yes?” She chuckles and I smother her with kisses. 

“If you think I’m turning that down then you should sign me up for a psych ward right now.” I mumble into her neck. 

Alex lets out a loud guffaw as she runs her fingers through my hair. 

“Kelley! She’s coming out!”

“Ugh I knew you would use that body of a goddess to seduce her! God Tobin you have the sex drive of a 15 year old boy.” She shouts as she walks down the staircase. 

“You’re one to talk!” I temporarily detach my lips from Alex’s skin to call out. 

“Touché my friend! But you should really refrain yourself from having sex on the couch, we just got it this morning.” Kelley mumbles through a mouthful of Coco Pebbles. 

“Someone has to christen it.” I tell her, still kissing away at Alex’s neck while she giggles at Kelley and I’s antics. 

“Ew. Gross.” She says before walking back up the stairs and leaving us alone. 

“Lets go get dressed for the bar, I’ll even let you see what lingerie I’m wearing tonight.” Alex teases me and pushes my shoulders until I begrudgingly roll off of her. 

“You are so meannn.” I groan out, following her up the stairs. 

“You love it.” She winks at me over her shoulder, and I smile to myself knowing she’s right. 

Three hours and several shots later, we walk through the doors of the popping club, having been let in immediately at the sight of Alex. I look around the room and nod my head at the lively atmosphere. 

“DRINKSSS.” Kelley whoops out, dragging us all to the bar. 

Kelley immediately begins flirting with the bartender, already a bit tipsy from the shots back at our apartment. 

“Kel, we’re going over to those couches.” I tell her, and she nods her head in understanding before going back to attempting to woo the amused bar tender. 

Kelley struts up a few minutes later with two drinks in her hands, and a confident smirk on her face. 

“Guess whose still got it.” She cheers, raising her drinks in the air. 

“Wow you got those free drinks really fast.” Alex comments, looking over her shoulder at the bartender. 

“Still got them skills.” She says rubbing her fingers against her sleeve and blowing on them. 

“God why would she fall for your so called ‘skills’?” Pinoe teasingly questions. 

“Must be the Irish in me.” Kelley winks before sitting back and joining the previous conversation. 

After a few more drinks everyone is tipsy enough to be confident of their dance moves, besides Pinoe who joined the dance floor ages ago. 

“I believe I have a promise to fulfill.” Alex whispers into my ear, causing a shiver to go down my spine. 

“That you do.” I jump off of the couch and drag her through the crowd to the dance floor. 

Alex tugs on my arm, pulling me until our bodies are moving against each other to the beat of the song. 

“Is this ok?” I ask, glancing around to make sure no one was paying any extra attention to us. 

“We’re dancing right next to our friends, it’s fine. I want to dance with you tonight.” She says above the music. 

“Well in that case, your holding back.” I smirk at her, and she throws her head back, laughing loudly. 

“Shut up and just dance with me.” She smiles at me, slinking her arms around my neck and pulling me closer. 

“Gladly.” I say, wrapping my arms around her waist and tugging her until there was no space left between the two of us. 

Alex grinds her hips into mine; going along with the sensual beat of the song, and my fingers grip her waist at the feeling. Our eyes don’t move from each others for the entirety of our time on the dance floor, each observing the others eyes become more and more hooded with desire. 

“Come with me.” Alex husks into my ear, hauling me off the dance floor. 

I follow eagerly, remembering what Alex had told me earlier in the evening. I grow confused however, when Alex brings me past the bathrooms and towards the back of the bar. She pushes open a door that I see leads us into the side alley of the bar, and before I can do anything Alex pushes me against the brick wall. 

“Wait! Alex someone could see us.” I stop her. 

“I don’t care.” She says against my lips. 

“You’ll care in the morning baby.” I say to her. 

“Tobin, there’s no one around. Kiss me.” She demands, not even waiting for an answer before slamming her lips into mine. 

I groan into her mouth and bring my hands up to cup her face as I kiss her fiercely. We grab at each other, not able to get enough of one another. We kiss each other with so much hunger that our teeth clash, its messy and out of control. When I grab Alex’s ass, she throws her head back and lets out a sinful moan. 

“I think we’re going to have to skip part of your plan and go home early.” I murmur heatedly. 

“Lets get out of here so I can fuck you in the car ride home.” She seductively whispers back. 

“God I fucking love it when you talk dirty to me.” I confess, biting her lip before pulling away. I take her hand and lead her back into the club, calling for an Uber while doing so. 

“Take me home baby.” Alex utters into my ear once we say goodbye to the girls. 

…

I wake up to the sound of Alex’s phone ringing throughout the room. 

“Tobin move so I can answer my phone.” 

“Let it go to voicemail.” I murmur in her ear as I slip an arm tighter around Alex’s naked body. 

“Mmm Tobinn.” She says as the phone stops ringing. 

“See I told you it would be fi-“ The phone ringing again interrupts me. 

“Ughhh.” I groan out and roll off of Alex so she can answer the phone. 

Alex chuckles at me as she reaches over for her phone and slides it open to answer. She sits up completely within a few seconds of answering her phone. 

“Mark no-just-no. I didn’t. I didn’t know! Yeah, yeah I’m coming. Wait what? Ok.” Alex hangs up the phone and stares blankly at the wall for a minute. 

“What?” 

“Alex what’s wrong?” I ask sitting up in bed after she hadn’t answered. 

“Um that was my agent. He says something just came up that might ruin my career. I have to go into his office and he wants me to bring you too.” She says slowly, turning until our eyes meet. 

“Alex…” I whisper out as all of the situations for this call run through my head. 

“Let’s um lets go then.” I say climbing out of bed to put some clothes on. 

The car ride to Mark’s office is quiet, the only sound is the faint music in the background. We walk into Mark’s office and see that he is looking at the pair of us with a disgruntled expression. 

“What the fuck is this.” He hisses out, throwing down a magazine onto the desk. 

Alex and I peer at the magazine and my jaw drops instantly. 

Plastered across the front page is a picture of Alex and I kissing up against the wall outside of the club last night. The caption reading: “Alex Morgan, Hollywood Superstar, and Tobin Heath, Rising Musician, in Lesbian Liplock?! Look inside for more!” 

“Fuck.” Alex murmurs from her spot next to me. 

“Yeah fuck. Jesus how the fuck am I supposed to fix this? I say that you just happened to fall in her arms and they just happened to take a pic for the split second your lips were on each other??” 

“I-I didn’t I didn’t think th-“ 

“Yeah you didn’t think Alex. I mean now they’ve connected pictures taken of you two getting lunch and ice cream together!”

“What are we gonna do? What are our options?” Alex shakily questions while I still look in shock at the magazine cover. 

“I think that we have only two options here. Either you come out publicl-“

“I cant do that.” Alex shakily gets out, turning stark white at the thought, gripping my hand tightly. 

“I wasn’t going to suggest that. Look Alex, I support your love life whole-heartedly, but as your agent I don’t think coming out right now would be the right move for your career. You’re America’s sweetheart who plays as the lover to a male counter part in all of your movies. As relaxed as LA is about gay culture, the rest of the country isn’t. And I know this is terrible to say, but America wont want to see a gay actress playing the part of a straight actress in a romance movie.” He says kindly. 

At this point, Alex is on the verge of having a total breakdown. Her foot is tapping and tears are threatening to streak down her cheeks. 

“So where does that leave us?” She asks. 

Mark takes a deep breath and looks at the two of us before replying. 

“I think the only decision we have is for you and Tobin to temporarily not spend time together.” After Mark voices his opinion, Alex instantly disagrees while chills run down my spine. 

“What! This is crazy! There’s got to be a better way!” Alex argues. 

Mark and I haven’t broken eye contact since his statement, and I gulp as I start to understand. 

“How long is temporary?” I croak out and Marks look at me in sympathy. I feel the air leave my lungs as it all clicks, and I nod my head in understanding as I look at the ceiling, unable to speak. 

“Well that’s that isn’t it?” I rhetorically ask, standing robotically. 

“Woh wait what do you mean that’s that?!” Alex asks in panic, unaware of Mark and I’s silent conversation. 

I open my mouth but nothing comes out so I just look up at Mark, blinking the tears out of my eyes. 

“NO!” Alex shouts out, suddenly catching on to the mute exchange. 

My jaw begins to tremble as Alex stands and grabs onto me. 

“I’m going to step out, Tobin.” Mark says and gives me a small nod and I clench my jaw and nod to him once, knowing what I had to do. 

“Tobin. Tobin please tell me this is not what I think it is.” Alex distraughtly questions. 

“Alex…” I croak out and I close my eyes, trying to gather the courage to get through this conversation. 

“No! No Tobin I wont let you! We can figure something out!” 

“You heard Mark, I’m not good for you or your career.” 

“But you’re good for me!” 

“Your career is your life Alex. I’m not going to make you choose between your career and me.” I say emotionlessly, staring at the ground. 

“Tobi-Tobin I love you!” She cries out grabbing onto my arm. 

My resolve is crumbling and tears are starting to pour down my face. 

“It’s only temporary Lex.” I lie through my teeth, smiling through my tears as I try to put on a brave face, but it feels like my heart is shattering. 

“Tobin…” She mumbles out, tears streaming down her face. 

“It’ll be ok. You’ll be ok.” I tell her, knowing there was no possible way I was going to get through this ok. 

“I love you.” She begins to repeat over and over. 

“I know, I know you do.” 

“I’m just not ready to come out, I just cant do that yet.” She weeps. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry that I’m not ready.” She blubbers out, putting her hands on my cheeks. 

“It’s ok, it’s ok baby.” I attempt to reassure her, trying my hardest not to break down. 

Alex looks at me with broken eyes and a face full of regret and tears. She leans in to kiss me but I back away. 

“I-I cant. I cant. I wont be able to walk away if you kiss me.” I whisper with my eyes closed. I hear Alex sob uncontrollably and gripping my arms tighter. I take a deep breath through my nose to try and steady myself, clench my jaw, and open my eyes. 

“Goodbye Alex.” I say, detaching her hands from my arm. I spin on my heel and walk out the door, almost turning around when I hear Alex sob out my name. 

I feel numb as I walk into the hallway, not even surprised to find Mark twenty feet down the hall. 

“I’m sorry Tobin.” He apologizes genuinely and I nod my head, continuing to walk down the hall. 

“Take care of her.” I call over my shoulder before entering the elevator. 

The car ride back to my apartment feels only a minute long even though it’s a thirty-minute drive at minimum. I kick my shoes off as soon as I walk inside, just out of habitat. I feel like a zombie as I walk up the stairs to my room. When I step foot into my room, I freeze. My eyes rove over my whole room, memories of Alex spring to my mind with almost every item. In response, my chest starts to tighten and my breath quickens as my brain starts to catch up to what just happened. 

I whirl around and run down the stairs, not being able to stomach the smell of Alex’s perfume for a moment more. Tears stream down my face and I heave for a breath as I run out of the apartment. I run down the stairs, and into the street. 

I just run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo what are our thoughts??


	48. Tequila

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold on to your seats guys, this ride could get a little bumpy.

I don’t stop running until my foot gets caught on a crack and I fall, rolling a few times before I come to a stop. My chest is heaving as I try to take deep breaths. I look down at my feet and stare dazedly at them when I see the bottoms of my feet are torn apart and bleeding onto the concrete. I numbly gaze around, taking in my surroundings, surprised when I see that it’s late afternoon. 

I scoot my body back towards the wall until I’m resting it against it. Tears start to spring to my eyes when I think about what occurred this morning. 

“God dammit.” I whisper to myself as I can feel my shoulders shaking and watch as a teardrop appears on the concrete. 

I close my eyes, rest my head on my knees, and try to take deep breaths to calm myself down. Fifteen minutes later I’ve calmed myself down, having forced my mind to go blank and not think of anything. I stand and wince, now very aware of the state of my feet and calves for running for so long. I hobble to the nearest building and walk inside. I notice that it’s a bar and walk to the large empty oak counter. 

“Can I use your telephone?” I croak out, not realizing how dry my throat was. 

“Sure hon.” The older woman says, handing me a phone. 

I dial a number and sit on the stool, sighing in relief at the loss of pressure on my shredded feet. 

“Hello?” 

“Kelley?”

“Tobin is this you? What number is this?” 

“Kelley I need you.”

“Tobin what’s wrong?” 

“Alex and I broke it off.” I whisper. For some odd reason I thought that if I whisper it, it wouldn’t be true.

“Wait what?! Why?!” She exclaims in shock. 

“I-I cant talk about this over the phone I need you Kel.” I say to her, wiping at the tears that I can already feel forming.

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know hold on. Mam what’s the name of this bar?” I ask the bartender. 

“The Rusty Oak.” She tells me and I repeat the name to Kelley.

“Ok it says it’s a 40 minute drive from where I am. I’ll be there as soon as I can Tobin!” 

“Wait can you bring my phone and wallet? Oh and shoes.” 

“Shoes? Tobin why do you need shoes?” She asks and I can here doors slamming in the background. 

“I forgot them when I left the apartment.” I admit. 

“Fuck Tobin.” She mutters into the phone. 

“I’ll see you soon Kel.” I say before hanging up and handing the phone back to the bartender. 

“Thank you. Can I have top shelf tequila shot please?” I ask the older woman, rubbing my forehead as I can feel my head start to pound. 

“Got your ID?” 

“My friend is bringing my wallet.” I sigh out. 

“Sorry hon I c-“

“Please. I promise I’m over 21. Look I’ve had the worst day, the love of my life broke up with me. I need a drink.” I beg her, trying to communicate with her how badly I needed something to numb the pain. 

I watch as the woman sighs, looking around the mostly empty bar, before letting her eyes drift over my pitiful features. 

“What do you want again hon?” 

“What’s your best tequila?” 

“For shots? I think Roca Patron Silver is pretty good.” She suggests. 

“Sounds perfect.” I tell her and watch as she reaches up and grabs the bottle off the top shelf. She pours me a shot and instantly I reach out for it, throwing it back without so much of a second thought. I rap my knuckles on the bar, signaling that I want another. I signal that I want another and the bartender, Susan, looks at me skeptically. 

“Two more and then I’ll be good for right now.” I tell her and she seems convinced as she pours me another two shots. I welcome the burning sensation in my chest and that is making its way towards my belly. 

“Can I have a silver margarita on the rocks please?” I ask, wanting something to sip on until I take more shots.

“Thank you Susan.” I say and she gives me a small smile before walking down the bar to help the only other person sitting at the bar. 

As I sip my drink, movement out of the corner of my eye catches my attention, and I turn my head to see what it was that caught it. My eyebrows lift in surprise when I see that I had been completely unaware of a band setting up on a stage, for what looks like a good half hour. 

I see the guitarist of the group, messing around with his guitar, trying to tune it in. The familiar itch to play courses through my fingers, causing me to down my drink and stand up, wincing at the pressure on my feet. I walk/hobble up to the band and they finally notice me when I’m a few feet in front of the stage. 

“You mind?” I ask, nodding my head to the guitar in his hand. 

“You know how to play?” The guy asks hesitantly. 

“For over a decade.” I confirm, holding my hand out. 

The guys give me a once over, pausing as he looks down at my feet, but eventually hands over the guitar. I run my fingers over the cords, closing my eyes at the comfort it brings me. I hop up on the table, sitting down on it and pulling the guitar into my lap. I start strumming, making the other band members heads to pop up at the sound. 

“You mind?” I motion to plugging myself up to the amp. 

“No, go ahead!” He says, his face alight with interest. I plug it in, and tune the guitar slightly until I’m satisfied. 

I start to play Slow Dancing In a Burning Room. Throughout the song I keep my head down, and can feel tears come to my eyes as my fingers spell out the familiar notes, the song having a whole new meaning to me now. I wipe my eyes when I’m finally finished, before lifting my eyes to the guitarist in front of me. His jaw is dropped as he takes back his guitar from my outstretched hand. 

“I’m not sure if I’m worthy to be holding this after what you just did with it.” He chuckles lightheartedly, causing a small smile to cross my face. 

“Your Tobin Heath.” He says, his face lighting up with wonder at the realization. “I would know that tune anywhere, it’s absolutely incredible.”

“Thank you.” I humbly say. 

“Would you actually mind signing my guitar?” He asks, looking at me with wide eyes, and I just stare at him in shock. 

“You want my autograph?” 

“Are you kidding me? I strive to have skills like you one day, of course I want your signature!” He exclaims. 

“Um yeah ok. You have something I can sign it with?” I ask and watch as he jogs to the bar, returning back quickly with a sharpie. 

I sign the guitar and smile as he takes it back with excitement. 

“Thank you so much! I have to keep setting up though.” He says regretfully. 

“That’s ok, have a good show.” I say to him and his band members before making my way back to the bar. 

“Hey Susan, can I have another round?” I ask, and she reaches for the bottle of tequila and pulls out a shot glass. 

“Actually how much for the bottle?” I wonder, gazing at the mostly full bottle. 

“You want to buy the bottle?” Susan asks in surprise. 

“Yeah that way you can just leave it here and wont have to worry about refilling my glass.” I point out. My head is beginning to spin from the alcohol and I focus as hard as I can to speak articulately. 

“$150” 

“Done. You can just leave it right here.” I tap the spot next to my empty shot glass. She looks at me, eyes squinting before sighing and setting the bottle down. 

The band starts to play and I spin slightly, turning my attention to the stage with my glass in hand. My leg bounces to the beat of a few tunes, taking a shot every few minutes. I don’t realize how much time has passed but three quarters of the bottle is gone, and I can finally feel myself starting to go numb. 

“Do you have a pen and paper?” I slur to the bartender and she hands me a pen and napkin. 

“Best I’ve got honey.”

My hand flies across the napkins as I write down the lyrics in my mind. I’m on the last line when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I slowly turn around and see a frazzled Kelley looking down at me in worry. 

“Kelllll, I ju-I just wrote a fucking good song.” I say, my words blending into one another as I hold up the napkins. 

“Did you bring my shoes and wallet?” I ask her before she has the chance to respond. 

“Um yeah.” She responds, holding up the items in her hand. 

She drops my sandals to the ground and gasps at the state of my feet. 

“Tobin what the fuck?!” She exclaims. 

“What?”

“What the fuck happened to your feet?!” 

“Oh. Yeah I ran out of the apartment so fast I forgot my shoes. ” I wave my hand in the air before taking another shot.

“To-“

“You know it’s our 6 month anniversary today?” I ask rhetorically, and Kelley stays quiet by my side. 

“You were a part of the plan, you knew what I was gonna do. You were going to sneak Alex out and I was going to completely redo the apartment. I bought five hundred candles to scatter everywhere; you know how much she loves candles. I was going to cook and have everything ready right when she walked in through the door.” I mutter into my glass, taking a deep sip of the tequila that now had no taste on my numb tongue. 

“Tobin what happened…?” Kelley quietly asks. 

“Someone took a picture of Alex and I kissing outside of the club last night, and gave it to a magazine that published it this morning. Alex can’t come out yet, it’ll ruin her career so I had to walk away.” I respond, pouring the rest of the bottle into the glass, and finishing it off with one large gulp. 

“Susan you got another bottle for me?” I call out to her. 

“Hon I don’t think you should have anymore.” She says looking at my already incredibly intoxicated self. 

“I’m fine, well I’m not fine. I just had my heart torn to pieces because I lost the love of my life but my friend is here to take care of me.” I point to Kelley next to me. 

“Tobin, I don’t know if you sho-“

“Kelley I swear to god if you don’t let me have another drink I’m going to lose my shit. And I really don’t want to break down in this bar.” I slur to her, my voice breaking throughout the sentence. 

I watch Kelley sit in the seat next to me, nodding her head to Susan who returns shortly with a new bottle. 

“Hey Suz, I told you I was 21.” I chuckle, holding my ID out for her to see. She gives me a small smile but it drops when she sees me lean back in my chair, holding the fresh glass to my lips. 

“They’re pretty decent.” I motion with my glass to Kelley towards the band practicing. 

“Yeah they are. A few more years and they could be really good. Tobin do you want to talk?” Kelley asks. 

“Not right now Kelley. Not right now. Here read them.” I shove the napkins her way and sip from my glass. 

“Shit Tobin.” Kelley says and I notice her try to subtly wipe away a tear. 

“My stuff might be a bit on the gloomier side for a little while.” I admit, observing as she folded the napkins up and put them in her pocket. 

I hear the band end the song they had been playing the last few minutes and I spin in my seat and clap loudly, causing me to spill my drink I had all but dropped onto the bar. The alcohol spills off of the bar and onto my cut up feet. 

“Ow. That hurt.” I blankly say as I can feel my feet stinging from the alcohol, but am too drunk to have more of a reaction. 

“Dammit Tobin.” Kelley mutters and grabs a napkin on the bar as she wipes gently at my foot. I turn away out of loss of interest when I see the napkin pull away from my foot red. 

“I’mfineKelley.”

“You’re not fine Tobin, your feet are ripped to shreds.” Kelley comments. 

“Look I’m fin-“ I begin to say as I stand up but immediately sway, not realizing how drunk I am, and would have fallen to the ground if Kelley weren’t there to catch me. 

“Ok we’re going home.”

“I’mgood.” I mumble, my words merging together at this point. 

“No you’re not. We’re going home.” Kelley commands. 

“Wait wait wait wait. My my wallet Kel, give me my wallet.” I demand. Kelley gives it to me and I dig through it and place five Benjamins on the bar in front of a shocked Susan.

“Tank you.” I say to her nodding my head before wrapping my arms around Kelley as she basically drags me out of the bar. 

Kelley somehow gets me into the car without any of my help, too drunk to have any type of motor function. A few minutes into the ride, I can’t help the sadness that overwhelms my entire being. Soon I’m full out sobbing in Kelley’s car, Kelley placing a comforting hand on my forearm. 

“Kelley. I need you to pull over.” I say in between sobs. 

“Are you ok??” 

“I’m gonna be sick.” I slur out, already unbuckling my seat belt. As soon as I feel the car stop moving, I open the door and fall out onto the ground. 

“Tobin!” I hear Kelley shout. 

I pick myself up enough to get on my hands and knees before I throw up onto the grass. My entire body heaves as my stomach is rejecting everything I had put in it. I’m aware of Kelley holding my hair back as I purge my body of alcohol. After a few minutes, my body begins to dry heave because I have nothing left in my system. 

“Tobs, there’s nothing left.” Kelley tells me while rubbing my back. 

“I fuckin uh know uh that.” I say in between retching. 

I take deep breaths trying to calm my body down, and eventually I’ve calmed down enough where I can lean back against the car. Kelley hands me a napkin and I wipe the drool and bile from my face. 

“I fucking love her.”

“I know babe.” Kelley says, running her hands through my hair. 

“I fucking love her so much.” I cry, placing my head in my hands. 

“I know you do. You loved her so much that you did the hardest thing in the world and walked away.” Kelley whispers into my ear. 

“Come on let’s get you home Tobs.” She says and proceeds to lift me off of the ground. 

“Kelley?” I call out into the darkness as we’re back on the road again. 

“Yeah Tobs?” 

“Can I sleep with you tonight? I- I really don’t want to sleep alone.” I tremble out. 

“Of course Tobin, I’m always here for you.” She says grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers. 

“Thank you.” I whisper out, resting my pounding head onto our interlaced fingers and closing my eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly can not believe the support I've gotten with this story, I never thought I would reach 100k words. Much less have gotten such a good response as I have! I know you guys are wondering how much longer this story is going to be, and I think its around 10 chapters. So hopefully at the pace I'm going right now with writing, I'll be finished with this story in a few weeks. My tumblr is WolfgangRythem, hit me up if you have any questions or just want to chat!


	49. Mission Accomplished

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are we doing on the angst-train?

I wake up in the morning, instantly groaning at how much my head is pounding. I roll over and am beyond relieved when I see a trash can right beside my head because I lean over and retch into it. My entire mouth taste of bile and my nose burns from the acid when I finally lift my head from the trashcan. I swing my feet over the side of the bed and cradle my face in hands, my head screaming profanities at me.

 

I go to stand up but fall down to the ground and gasp in agony at the pain in my feet. I look down at my feet and am befuddled until I remember that I had ran for hours on concrete last night without shoes.

 

“Dammit Tobin.” I swear to myself as I stare down at my freshly wrapped feet.

 

“I thought I heard something downstairs.” A voice from the door says and I turn to see Kelley leaning against the doorframe.

 

“Did you do this?” I question, pointing to my bandaged feet.

 

“Yeah after you pass out on the bed, Kling and I cleaned and wrapped them.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Do you want something to eat?”

 

“I’m not hungry.”

 

“T-“

 

“Kelley if I eat anything right now I will throw it back up.” I rub my forehead, hoping it would somehow help with my headache.

 

“Hey Kel could you actually do me one more favor?”

 

“Yeah Tobin what do you need?”

 

“Could you help me get to the Upper West side?” I ask sitting myself up.

 

“Yeah of course Tobin.” Kelley hoes to pick me up and I hiss when my feet feel the pressure of my weight.

 

“Can you wa-“

 

“Yeah lets do this.” I grunt out.

 

We slowly make our way to the Upper West side, with me walking on the sides of my feet. I sigh in relief when Kelley finally lowers me down onto the couch.

 

“Need anything else?”

 

“No, thanks Kelley.”

 

“Tobin..”

 

“No Kelley.” I grunt turning and I hear her close the door.

 

I look around, sighing as I figure out what to do. I grab my guitar and mess with it for a little while until I get bored. I glance around the room and my eyes stop on a stack of boxes in the corner. I wince as I rise to my feet and hobble over to the boxes in the corner. I look inside and gaze blankly at the contents.

 

I reach inside and pull out a glass candle, staring at it resting in the palm of my hand. I clench my teeth in anger before I whirl around and throw the candle as hard as I can. It explodes against the opposite wall, glass flying in every direction. Beyond satisfied with the feeling of throwing the candle, I turn back to the box and begin grabbing as many as I can. I hurl dozens of candles at the wall, not even caring that I was chipping the bricks.

 

I go through the first box quickly, and rip through the other box as I continue to channel my anger by lobbing these candles as hard as I possibly could, not even aware of the tears streaming down my face.

 

“What the fuck…Tobin!” I hear and turn around to see Ash looking at me in bewilderment.

 

My chest is heaving from my emotions and exertion, and I clench my jaw and look up to the ceiling to avoid the pity in Ash’s eyes.

 

“Tobin…”

 

“Not you too Ash.” I huff out, and am met by an extended silence.

 

“Come here Tobin.” She says and I hear the crunching of thousands of pieces of glass as Ashlyn crosses the room to me.

 

I feel Ash start to pick me up as I begin to shake and crumble.

 

“Come on Tobs, let me pick you up. Your feet and hands are bleeding.” She whispers.

 

Between my sobs I look down and notice that she’s right. Ash carries me down the stairs, cradling me to her chest as I breakdown in her arms. I put my face in Ashlyn’s shirt when I see Pinoe and Kling looking at me in concern.

 

Ash lies me down on the couch and returns shortly with a warm bowl of water, towels, and tweezers. She tends to me while whispering things to Kling and Pinoe. I hear Kling and Pinoe leave, comeback, and then the apartment door close.

 

“Ok Tobin sit up. Come on I’ve got something that’ll help.” Ash says, helping me to a sitting position.

I wipe the snot from my nose, and my eyebrows scrunch together when I see the items in her hand.

 

“Weed? Seriously?”

 

“We’re not collegiate athletes anymore, plus its legal in California.” She says with a shrug.

 

I roll my eyes and reach out for the joint and lighter, but my hands are shaking too much to actually light the lighter. Ash sympathetically takes the lighter and holds it while I inhale deeply.

 

“Damn. ” I cough out.

 

“How long has it been Tobs?” Ash chuckles, taking a hit herself.

 

“Since high school.” I respond reaching for the joint again.

 

I take several deep hits before handing the rest of the join to Ash to finish off. I lean back against the couch, looking up at the tall ceiling, everything from yesterday crashing down onto me. I close my eyes as silent tears track down my cheek. I feel Ash wipe away my tears and I let out an audible sob.

 

“I just love her so much Ashlyn.”

 

“I know bud I know.” She states sadly.

 

“I feel like I cant breathe.” I whisper out.

 

“Just relax Tobin, in a few minutes you’ll be able to relax.

 

“This is worse than Kendall, I didn’t think that was possible.”

 

“It’s just temporary, it’ll be ok Tobin.”

 

“It’s not fucking temporary, I’m not that fucking stupid. Just stupid enough to fall in love with someone I cant have.” I spit out.

 

“I wasn’t sa-“

 

“She was end game for me, and now she’s gone.” I begin to breathe heavily.

 

“Calm down Tobin, the weed will kick in in a minute and you’ll feel better!” She says trying to calm me down as my breathing picks up.

 

“I’m gonna be sick.” I mutter out, rolling over on my side as I can feel my mouth begin to water.

 

“Fuck.” I hear Ash curse and hurriedly throw the water out of the bowl onto the floor and puts the bowl underneath my mouth.

 

I throw up bile and dry heave for ten minutes, having nothing else in my stomach from throwing up last night and this morning. My shoulders shake as sobs take over my body and spit, snot, and tears mix together as they hang from my lips. Ash rubs my back as I let it all out, only handing me a napkin when she thinks I’ve got slight control over my emotions.

 

“Come here.” She grunts out as she pulls my body up and back onto the couch.

 

I feel the drugs start to seep into my system, and I sink against the couch in relief.

 

“It’s just not fair.” I croak out, staring blankly at the opposite wall.

 

“Life can be a real fucking bitch sometimes.” Ashlyn agrees.

 

“She was it for me.” I feebly confess.

 

“I know Tobs, relax.”

 

“She was it.” I repeat as my eyes close and I let the drugs take over, dragging me into oblivion.

 

…..

 

Kelley’s POV

 

5 days later

 

I sigh from my spot on the kitchen stool as I look up to the area that Tobin hadn’t left since yesterday morning.

 

“We need to do something.” Pin says.

 

“Yeah? What the fuck are we supposed to do?” I respond, turning around and staring at Pinoe incredulously.

 

“I don’t know but it’s been five fucking days and the only thing she’s eaten is a bowl of chocolate pudding. Like I’m glad she’s pumping out new songs but for fucks sake, at what expense? She needs to eat.” Pinoe states with wide eyes.

 

“We need to do something Kel. She goes out and late at night and comes stumbling back in early in the morning. I think she’s only slept a few hours in the last five days, and that’s because she’s so drunk she cant physically keep her eyes open any longer.” Kling pipes in sadly.

 

“I don’t know what to fucking do.” I admit miserably, tears coming to my eyes when I think of the pain my friend is in.

 

“I think I do.” Ash voices suddenly and runs out of the kitchen, causing us to all look at each in confusion.

 

She comes back and triumphantly sets down a brown paper bag on the counter.

 

“Seriously Ash? You want to get high and brainstorm?” Pinoe asks.

 

“No no no we’re gonna bake some brownies, make her get the munchies, and shove some food into her.”

 

“That could actually work.” Kling says with her eyebrows raised.

 

“She did eat that pudding when she was high.” Pinoe thinks out loud, nodding her head.

 

“Ok here’s the plan. Ash and I will cook the brownies, you two go get all of the munchies she likes! Pizza, chicken nuggets from McD’s, those tacos from that food truck that she likes, go to In-N-Out and get a couple burgers and fries. Oh and milkshakes too!” I command with a clap of my hands.

 

“Roger captain.” Pinoe salutes, grabbing Kling and running out of the door.

 

“I really fucking hope this works.” Ash says glancing up to where we could still here Tobin jamming out.”

 

“I don’t know how her fingers haven’t fallen off yet.” I mutter as I pull out a bowl.

 

An hour later, Ash is pulling the pan out of the oven just as Kling and Pinoe trudge in with the food. Kling is so weighed down, she had a bag between her teeth.

 

“Do you know how difficult it was not to eat any of this?!” Kling exclaims when I remove the bag from her mouth.

 

“You have restraint that I don’t have.” I chuckle.

 

“Here goes nothing.” I huff out, walking up the stairs with a weed brownie.

 

I hesitate around the corner before taking a deep breath and putting a smile on my face.

 

“Hey Tobin!” I call out cheerfully to her.

 

She stops playing, raising her head to look at me, and I have to mentally chastise myself from wincing. There are deep dark circles under her eyes, her face looks gaunt, and I’ve never seen such a defeated figure before.

 

“Hey Kel.” She croaks out, probably due to lack of using her voice.

 

“I made you something I think you’ll like!” I tell her.

 

“I’m not hungry.” She says immediately, grimacing and turning back to her guitar.

 

“It’s a weed brownie though!” I exclaim, trying not to let the desperation slip through my voice.

 

“That sounds good actually.” Tobin admits after a moments pause, reaching for the brownie.

 

“Ok awesome!” I say, basically shoving the brownie into her hand.

 

“Thanks Kel.” She says before taking a big bite of the brownie.

 

She finishes it off in two more bites, wiping her hands on her shirt.

 

“You should come hang with us downstairs. We’re having a Harry Potter movie marathon.” I tempt her, seeing if she’ll take the bait. I watch as her motions pause for a second, but she seems to shake her head to herself.

 

“Thanks Kel, I might come down in a bit.” She responds, picking the guitar back up.

 

“Ok, well we’ll be down there.” I say, still slightly disappointed by her rejection as I back out of the door.

 

“Give it 45 minutes guys, when she’s high she wont be able to resist the sounds of Harry Potter and the smells of her favorite food.” I confidently say to the girls.

 

“Ok lets set it all up on the coffee table.” Ash suggests. “It’ll make it look more appetizing when she walks down the stairs.”

 

We all grab the multitude of bags and bring them into the living room, spreading them out on to the table. We keep our snacking to a minimum, even though our stomachs are grumbling angrily at us, waiting to see if Tobin would join us.

 

Half an hour into the first movie, there’s a sound of the door above us opening. We all look at each other out of the corner of our eyes, not wanting to scare Tobin off by all turning around at once.

 

“Can I join?” Tobin slowly asks once she’s standing next to the couches.

 

“Yeah of course bud!” I say excitedly, patting the spot on the couch next to me.

 

“Cool.” She simply states and sits down, falling against the couch beside me.

 

A few minutes go by until Tobin hesitantly reaches out for a burger, dragging it sluggishly closer to her. She picks it up, biting into it, and I have to physically put my hand in front of my mouth so Tobin wouldn’t see the smile on my face when I hear her sigh in satisfaction.

 

“Oh hey we have some milkshakes in the freezer, want one?” I casually ask not even looking in her direction, trying to play it off cool.

 

“Dude really? That’s awesome.” She drawls out through a big bite.

 

Kling is out of her chair before Tobin has even finished her sentence, and is holding out the milkshake to Tobin a couple of seconds later.

 

“Mmmm.” Tobin hums out as she takes a big gulp of the vanilla milkshake.

 

Tobin, always known for having a ferocious appetite, finishes her burger quickly, and stretches out for a taco next. I make eye contact with Ash and she winks at me with a satisfied expression on her face as we both watch our friend eat something for the first time in days.

 

Tobin ends up eating two more tacos, a shit ton of nuggets, and a couple slices of pizza. After taking the last sip of her milkshake, she leans against me, and I watch as she closes her eyes.

 

“Thanks Kel.” She whispers out, putting a hand on top of mine, and I give it a squeeze in response.

 

“Love you Tobs.” I murmur back.

 

Tobin ends up lying down completely, her head in my lap with me dragging my fingers through her hair. Her breathing gets deeper when we are on the second movie and look down to see she’s passed out.

 

“Mission accomplished girls.” I say quietly, looking around the room as everyone smiles at each other.

 

I hear my phone go off and turn to look at the screen, my face going blank when I see the notification.

 

“Oh fuck me.” I curse to myself, not even realizing how loud I was speaking.

 

“What?” Ashlyn asks next to me, trying to peer over the couch ledge at my phone screen.

 

I continue to stare down at the screen in astonishment before slowly raising it to show Ashlyn as I mutter under my breath.

 

“What the fuck am I supposed to do about this?”

 

**Alex Morgan: Hey can we meet somewhere tomorrow? I need to talk to you. Please.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you guys are thinking?? What do you think is gonna happen next?


	50. You Were Everything to Her

Kelley POV

I take a deep breath and knock on the door, my heart in my throat as I wait. The door swings open and I’m met with an apprehensive looking Alex. My eyes run over her features, noting immediately that she looks a lot better then Tobin. The only difference then her normally perfect appearance are the small bags under her eyes, and they look bloodshot from crying. 

“Come in.” She motions. 

I walk the familiar pathways, until I’m leaning against the counter in the kitchen. Alex stands in front of me, wringing her hands nervously together in the awkward pregnant silence. She opens her mouth to say something, but before she can actually speak, I hear the sound of bare feet pattering on the floor

I turn to see an extremely handsome and muscular man walking into the room, only wearing shorts while drying his hair with a towel. He stops in his steps as we both look at each other in shock, and I can feel my blood begin to boil. 

“Oh sorry Lex I didn’t realize you’d be having company.” He apologizes. 

“Lex?” I whisper under my breath in utter outrage that this man in front of me felt close enough to Alex to be able to call her such a personal nickname. 

I spin on my heel, taking two large steps towards Alex as she opens her mouth again. I slap her across the cheek as hard as I can, breathing heavily and trembling as I try to control my rage. 

“You fucking bitch.” I spit out, my face screwing up in fury. 

“You fucking bitch!” I repeat, louder this time as I shove Alex into the refrigerator. She lets out a small whimper as her head hits the metal door. 

“Do you even know how much fucking pain Tobin is in?! Do you know she loves you so much that she didn’t eat for 5 days?! We had to get her stoned out of her mind just so she would fucking eat!! She comes back home stumbling every single fucking night from the bar because she cant sleep without being so fucked out of her mind that she cant keep her eyes open!” I scream at her, losing my cool completely in defense of my broken friend. I push her into the refrigerator, becoming angrier with every sentence. Alex closes her eyes, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. It fuels my anger even more when she doesn’t fight back, just allowing me to shove her up against the medal door. 

When I thrust her into the door harder then before, I feel arms wrap around my waist.

“That’s enough!” I hear the guy say firmly. 

“You broke her! You know that?! You fucking broke the woman that is madly in love with you all because you’re too afraid of what the world will think of you!” I scream hoarsely, tears springing to my eyes as I think of Tobin. Alex collapses to the ground, her shoulders shaking 

“She loves you so much, even after all the pain you’ve caused her, she still loves you! And here you are fucking some Hollywood type A guy!” I say struggling to get free of the strong arms wrapped around me. 

“Woh woh woh. We’re not fucking, I’m her cousin for Christ’s sake.” The guy says in bewilderment, letting go of me. I sneer at him in disbelief and he rolls his eyes, strutting over to a backpack on the couch and pulls out a wallet. 

“Jack Morgan. Here’s a picture of us as teenagers if you don’t believe me. Now will you please stop harassing my cousin.” He says heatedly , pointing over to where Alex is curled into a ball at the base of the refrigerator. 

My heart breaks at the sight, but I internally tell myself to be tough. Come on Kelley, don’t break, be tough. Tobin is in way worse shape. Right…? 

Alex’s cousin, Jack, drops his wallet and drops down next to Alex, whispering something in her ear and she shakes her head. He stands up and gives her a sad look once more before looking up at me, his expression hardening. 

“She doesn’t want me to stay while you two talk. If you touch her roughly one more time, I will throw you out of this house by your neck. I don’t make empty threats. Do you hear me?” He says seriously, his lightening blue eyes boring into mine. 

I nod my head and he grunts gruffly, stalking out of the room without another word. I run my hand over my face when I glance down to Alex who is still curled into a ball. 

“Alex, I didn’t mea-, I didn’t know he was your cousin.” I somewhat apologize, cringing at what I had assumed. 

“I deserve it.” She weeps out. 

“You didn’t deserve that.” I admit to her, feeling like the shittiest person in the world for assuming the worst.

“I deserve it.” She repeats in between her sobs. 

I sigh and slide down against the fridge, until I’m sitting next to her. She picks her head up and I inhale sharply as I grasp the mistake I made the moment I walked in the door. The amount of pain in Alex’s matches if not exceeds the pain of Tobin’s. My mistake in judging Alex for her lack of expression was stupid on my part, not even thinking how acting is Alex’s life. I realize now as I stare into her eyes, that Alex is trying to pull off her greatest acting feat. She’s hiding to the public and everyone around her how much pain she’s actually in. 

“Is it true?” She croaks out.

“What is?” I mutter out past the lump in my throat caused by the realization of my oversight. 

“Everything you said? Did she really not eat for 5 days and come back home drunk every night?” She asks, taking deep breaths as she tries to calm herself down. 

I open my mouth to say something, but end up just looking at her sadly. My expression confirms what I said, and I watch as Alex’s expression of grief turns into one of utter heartbreak. Sounds don’t even escape from her as she leans back against the fridge, her entire body shaking and her mouth agape as she silently mourns. 

“Fuck.” I mutter to myself and bring my arms around her shoulders, dragging her into me. 

At this movement, Alex lets go of herself completely, letting all of her weight fall onto me as if she couldn’t physically hold herself up any longer. Her breathing becomes some ragged and choppy I begin to worry that she’s not getting enough oxygen.

“Alex, Lex you gotta breathe.” I tell her, rubbing her back. 

If anything, my comment only makes her breathing become even more jagged. When fifteen minutes have gone by, and the intensity of her sobbing has yet to decrease, I take matters into my own hands. I push Alex off of me, but suddenly her hands grasp my t-shirt as if it’s her lifeline. I try to pry her fingers off of me but she only grips tighter, snot hanging from her nose as she hangs onto me for dear life. 

“Let go Alex, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Don’t leave me, please don’t leave me alone.” She breathes out so quietly I wouldn’t hear it if her mouth wasn’t next to my ear. My heart breaks as I realize Tobin wasn’t the only one shattered by this event, yet we had made Alex the villain, leaving her to fend for herself. 

“I’m not leaving you Lex, I promise. I’m just moving you.” I explain as calmly as I can. 

Alex slowly releases her grasp on me, and I note how her hands shake as she withdraws them from my shirt. I immediately rise to my knees and put a hand on both shoulders, gently redirecting her to the floor. Once on the floor, I raise her arms above her head and push her knees into her chest. I can feel her legs shaking below my body and watch as her arms continue to shake above her head. 

“Breathe Alex. Look at me. You have to breathe!” I tell her, realizing she’s not getting enough air in her lungs and might be on the verge of passing out. 

She takes in shaky breaths for what seems like hours, until her chest starts to have the resemblance of normal breathing. 

“That’s it Alex, nice steady breaths.” I say to her, synchronizing my breathing with hers. 

“I can’t stop fucking shaking.” She remarks, noting how her legs and hands wont stop quivering. 

“Well yeah Alex, there wasn’t enough air getting to them. I don’t think you took an actual breath for close to thirty minutes, you were starting to scare me.” I admit, running my hands up and down her arms, still trying to calm her down. 

“I’m ok now Kelley, thank you.” She says, sitting up and running her hands over her disheveled hair and tear/snot-streaked face. 

“Are you though?” I peer at her. 

“Yes Kel-“

“Because I know you aren’t so cut the bullshit.” I tell her. Alex swallows roughly and lets her head roll back against the fridge until she is looking out at the huge glass window. When I’m about to say something else, Alex speaks. 

“I wasn’t good enough for her anyways.” She whispers, and my head rears back in shock. 

“What do you mean you weren’t good enough for her? You were everything to her.” I state passionately. 

“I wasn’t. Tobin deserves someone that loves her openly, who can give herself to her completely. “ She mutters out. 

“What are you talking about?! Alex you crying your eyes out to me shows how much you love her.” I say and she shakes her head as silent tears start to trail down her cheeks. 

“Tobin deserves someone that can hold her hand walking down the street, who will take her to award shows and show her off proudly. Everywhere I go, the media is there and they take so many pictures of us that it got to the point that I didn’t even want to be together out of the house! I feel so guilty. I feel so guilty because I’m not being my true self when I’m in public, and I’m embarrassed that I do feel guilty because I don’t know if I can be myself out in the open. The world wants me to be someone that I can’t even relate to. I don’t want to play the Hollywood game anymore, dating co-stars and other actors, that’s not me! There were days that I wanted to rip my heart when Tobin’s face would fall when I would pull away from her in public. All I want is Tobin, but I’m just so scared.” She confesses, breaking out into sobs at the end of her statement, and I can feel tears come to my own eyes. 

“Do you-do you want to come out?” I ask hesitantly. 

“Yes! If that means I can love Tobin open and freely then yes! I’m just so scared and don’t know how to do it. I know it’s pathetic to admit, but it terrifies me what the world is going to say.” Alex confesses. 

“Well, maybe right not you feel as if you cant come out to the world, because you’re hardly out to yourself, but IF you want to come out, then do it. The people who truly love you will stand by your side no matter what. I know it’s going to be really hard to do, but focus on you. The rest is background noise.” I say to her and she nods her head. 

“Um, ho-how is she?” She asks, clearing her throat. 

“Honestly Lex? I think if she had the choice between breathing or just seeing you, she would choose you.” I sigh out. 

I observe as Alex bites her lip so hard, I see blood seep out of her bottom lip. Her chin trembles as she lets go of it, running her tongue along the seem of her lip, licking away the blood. 

“We um-we’re actually doing a show at a small bar tomorrow night. Tobin wants to give this bar good business, she likes the atmosphere of the place.” I hesitantly inform her, watching as Alex’s head jerks in my direction at my statement. 

“What bar?” 

“Fuck maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.” I say quietly, now regretting ever voicing my stupid ideas. 

“Kelley. What fucking bar?” She demands to know, an unwavering expression on her face. 

“It’s called the Rusty Oak.” I exhale out, rubbing a hand over my face. 

“Alex, maybe you shou-“

“She wont see me.”

“You say that but I think you’re forgetting how aware Tobin is of your proximity like all the time.” I remind her and watch as her eyebrows scrunch together and she gnaws on her already bitten lip. 

“You know I’m right.” I say knowing she can’t deny that Tobin has this crazy sixth sense of whenever Alex was in the room. 

“I’ll stay in the back, she wont know I’m there.” Alex says nodding her head to herself in determination. 

“Ale-“ I begin to counter but she cuts me off. 

“I need to see her Kelley, even if it’s from a distance.” Alex whispers, looking at me with tear eyes before continuing. 

“I know I’m the one that caused this, I know I’m the reason Tobin is hurting so much, but I’m hurting too. I have to choose between the two things I love the most in my life, and it really fucking hurts. Just because I’m the reason we’re going through this, doesn’t mean it’s any less painful. I miss her so much it physically hurts.” She croaks out. 

“I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow night then huh?” I rhetorically ask and Alex smiles softly at me before laying her head on my shoulder, completely exhausted from our chat. 

I lean my head up against the fridge, wrapping an arm around Alex, and close my eyes as I go over the conversation. I really hope you didn’t fuck this up Kelley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are we thinking? Think Tobin is the only one hurting??


	51. Scratch That

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anddddd songs are back! Obviously they aren't going to be as upbeat as previous songs, but still good. Go ahead and give them a listen because then you can really feel the pain behind Tobin's words. Don't know when the next update will be, I'll try my best to get it out as soon as possible. I can't decide whether I should switch back and forth between Concrete Jungle and this, or just focus on finishing this story. I think I have 5-10 chapters left. Which option should I do? Tell me and I'll try my best to please you guys. Hope you Enjoy!

Tobin’s POV

 

“Kelley why do you keep looking over at the bar? Do you see a girl or something?” I ask while fiddling with my guitar.

 

Kelley whipped her head around from where she was staring intently at, and faces me. “Oh no you know, I was just uh waiting for a friend to arrive.”

 

“Is it that girl from the other night that made me stay up all night?

 

“No someone else, its not like you were sleeping anyways.” She mutters the second half of the sentence under her breath, and I ignore the small jab.

 

“Doesn’t mean I want to hear your horny ass self. Kling we almost ready?” I ask over my shoulder, looking at Kling fiddling with a few things.

 

“Yeah give me legit like 30 seconds.” She responds

 

“Tobin?” I hear someone behind me say and turn to see Susan looking up at me on stage.

 

“Hi Susan.”

 

“I’d just like to thank you again for doing this. I know you must be really busy with everything.” She says sincerely patting the top of my shoe.

 

“It’s my pleasure Susan, I missed playing in bars. I’ll play in your bar anytime, I like helping out people who help me. Plus it helps us gage the reaction of some new songs we’re putting together. ” I say to her with a genuine smile on her face.

 

“Well I definitely think you’re helping out.” She lets out with a chuckle, motioning to the jam-packed bar.

 

“All because you gave me alcohol without seeing my ID.” I tease her and she throws back her head laughing.

 

“Hon if this is the business I get, I’ll never ID you again.” She winks at me before returning to the bustling bar.

 

“Ready to go guys?” I ask, receiving nods and thumbs up in responses.

 

“Hey everybody, this is Wolfgang Rythem a-” I say into the microphone but have to halt midway through my sentence due to the shouts emerging from the crowd. “Thank you. Tonight we’re going to go through some of our classics, but we’re actually going to be playing some new songs tonight for you.” I finish with a grin and a cheer goes up from the crowd.

 

“TOBIN I LOVE YOU!” A girl right next to the stage shouts, startling me.

 

“Oh um thank you?” I say to her with a small smile and I can hear Pinoe chuckling behind me.

 

We’re almost halfway through our set list when I feel the hairs rise on the back of my neck. I lift my head immediately and gaze into the crowd, searching for something. My heart drops when I catch a glimpse of the back of someone’s head, but let out a sigh of relief, disappointment? When I see that it’s not who I thought it was. I shake my head and take a deep drink of the beer Susan had just brought us.

 

I look over my shoulder to collaborate which song we’re doing next but stop when I see the shocked expression on my friend’s faces, all except for Kelley. I concentrate on Kelley and watch as she looks from the crowd to me with a nervous look on her face.

 

“What the hell.” I mutter to myself and turn on my heel to see what everyone is gawking at.

 

When I do I feel like the wind is knocked out of my lungs. Scratch that. The wind IS knocked out of my lungs. I feel as if I can’t catch my breath as I look out over the crowd, finding Alex staring at me from the back of the bar.

 

She’s standing in a darker corner, but I would know who it was even if it was pitch dark. Unable to comprehend what was going on, I stand in a daze for a good fifteen seconds, my mouth half open in shock. I shut it roughly and grind my teeth together when I realize where I am and how many people are watching me. I look down, and grab the beer at my feet, downing it in only a couple of gulps before placing it back down on the stage.

 

I seriously consider putting my guitar down and walking off the stage, but decide against it, not wanting to cause a scene. I close my eyes and try to control my breathing that had accelerated without me even realizing it.

 

“Um we uh we’re going to play some new songs for you now, they’re a little different from our past stuff but I hope you guys like them still.” I mumble into the microphone, staring at Alex the whole time.

 

“Ditmas.” I say to the girls and they nod their heads.

 

[Ditmas- Mumford and Sons ](https://youtu.be/cOBPiOdyGEM)

 

**And in time**

**As one reminds the other of past**

**A life lived much too fast to hold onto**

**How am I losing you?**

**A broken house**

**Another dry month waiting for the rain**

**And I had been resisting this decay**

**I thought you'd do the same**

**But this is all I ever was**

**And this is all you came across those years ago**

**Now you go too far**

**Don't tell me that I've changed because that's not the truth**

**And now I'm losing you**

**Fragile sound**

**The world outside just watches as we crawl**

**Crawl towards a life of fragile lines**

**And wasted time**

**And so I cry**

**As I hold you for the last time in this life**

**This life I tried so hard to give to you**

**What would you have me do?**

**But this is all I ever was**

**And this is all you came across those years ago**

**Now you go too far**

**Don't tell me that I've changed because that's not the truth**

**And now I'm losing you**

**Where I used to end was where you start**

**You were the only one**

**And now I see your eyes move too fast**

**You were the only one**

**Careful hands**

**And wandering without that much to say**

**Your words are empty as the bed we made**

**Is there another way?**

**Oh love, is there another way?**

**But this is all I ever was**

**And this is all you came across those years ago**

**Now you go too far**

**Don't tell me that I've changed because that's not the truth**

**And now I'm losing you**

**And now I'm losing you**

 

I don’t look into the crowd throughout the entire song, concentrating on playing with my shaking fingers, and turning around and jamming out with Ashlyn as she rocks out on the drums. When we finish, the crowd erupts into cheers and Kling gives me a thumbs up at the reaction.

 

“Did you guys like that one?” I ask the crowd and we get another round of cheers and applause.

 

“Cool, we still have a few more songs to go through, so we hope you enjoy these too.”

 

I readjust my snapback, running my hands through my sweaty hear before replacing it on top of my head. I glance into the corner where Alex is and find her ignoring the girl talking next to her, her full attention focused on me.

 

“Bruises.” I call over my shoulder to the girls, and get grunts of understanding in return.

[Bruises- Lewis Capaldi](https://youtu.be/84znrPmOePc)

 

 

**Counting days, counting days since my love up and got lost on me**   
**And every breath that I've been taken since you left feels like a waste on me**   
**I've been holding on to hope that you'll come back when you can find some peace**   
**Cause every word that I've heard spoken since you left feels like a hollow street**

**I've been told, I've been told to get you off my mind**   
**But I hope I never lose the bruises that you left behind**   
**Oh my lord, oh my lord, I need you by my side**

**There must be something in the water**   
**Cause everyday it's getting colder**   
**And if only I could hold you**   
**You'd keep my head from going under**

**Maybe I, maybe I'm just being blinded by the brighter side**   
**Of what we had because it's over, well there must be something in the tide**

**I've been told, I've been told to get you off my mind**   
**But I hope I never lose the bruises that you left behind**   
**Oh my lord, oh my lord, I need you by my side**

**There must be something in the water**   
**Cause everyday it's getting colder**   
**And if only I could hold you**   
**You'd keep my head from going under**

**Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh**   
**Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh**   
**Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh**   
**Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooooh**

**It's your love I'm lost in**   
**Your love I'm lost in**   
**Your love I'm lost in**   
**And I'm tired of being so exhausted**   
**Your love I'm lost in**   
**Your love I'm lost in**   
**Your love I'm lost in**   
**Even though I'm nothing to you now**   
**Even though I'm nothing to you now**

**There must be something in the water**   
**Cause everyday it's getting colder**   
**And if only I could hold you**   
**You'd keep my head from going under**

**There must be something in the water**   
**Cause everyday it's getting colder**   
**And if only I could hold you**   
**You'd keep my head from going under**

 

The crowd gives a cheer, although a little less subdued then the last due to the lyrics and topic of the song. Without much of a pause I announce the next song, moving right into it.

[Something- Julien Baker](https://youtu.be/tADWPTqR_4A) (Something is the last song in this playlist, but I HIGHLY recommend watching the WHOLE session. HIGHLY recommend)

 

**I know you're sleeping by now**

**I'm still up walking around**

**The walls of my skull bend backwards**

**And in like a labyrinth**

**I knew I was wasting my time**

**Keep myself awake at night**

**Whenever I close my eyes**

**I'm chasing your tail lights**

**In the dark**

**In the dark**

**In the dark**

**I know you left hours ago**

**I still haven't moved yet**

**I knew you were gone months ago**

**But I can't think of anyone else**

**I should've said something, something, something**

**I couldn't find something to say**

**So I just said nothing, nothing, nothing**

**Sat and watched you drive away**

**I just let the parking lot swallow me up**

**Choking your tires and kicking up dust**

**Asking aloud why you leavin?**

**But the pavement won't answer me**

**I just let the silence swallow me up**

**The ring in my ears tastes like blood**

**Asking aloud, "Why you leavin'?"**

**But the pavement won't answer me**

**I know I meant nothing, nothing to you**

**I thought I meant something, something, something**

**But I just said nothing, said nothing, said nothing**

**Sat and watched you drive away**

**I just said nothing, said nothing, said nothing**

**I can't think of anyone, anyone else**

**I can't think of anyone, anyone else**

**I can't think of anyone, anyone else**

**I won't think of anyone else**

 

My voice breaks once throughout the song and I have to take several deep breaths after the last note to try and keep my feelings at bay. I can feel tears springing to my eyes and do what I do every time I can feel my emotions rearing its ugly head.

 

“Anybody got a shot they want to share with me?” I ask the crowd.

 

Suddenly a girl climbs up on to the stage with two shots in her hand. Under any other circumstances I would have been extremely attracted to the woman in front of me, but all I could focus on was the alcohol in her hand.

 

“Can I take a video of us taking these shots together.” She asks shyly and I give her a small smile.

 

“Of course, least I can do when you’re giving me a free shot.” I say to her and she smiles at me biting her lip.

 

“Yo Kels will you video this for?” I ask, drawing out the last letter.

 

“Skylar.” She says leaning in.

 

“Alright Skylar on 3. 1 2 3.” I say tipping back my shot, welcoming the burn it brings.

 

“Thank you so much, find me after the show and we’ll take another shot together.” I say to her, ushering her politely off of the stage.

 

“Thanks Tobin!” She says to me smiling brilliantly before jumping off the stage and being attacked by her friends who all shake her and let out a small scream.

 

“This is our last song of the night guys, it’s been awesome performing in front of this great crowd.” I say with an actual smile that drops quickly as I prep myself.

 

I glance up at the corner and find Alex discretely wiping away a tear from her face. Anger and hurt course through me, and my eyebrows scrunch together at the confusing mix of emotions rumbling through my body. On one hand I want to jump off of this stage and run over to Alex and comfort her, however I also wanted to just throw my guitar against the ground in anger of our situation. Choosing to do neither, I murmur out the neck song, giving the girls a minute to situate themselves before starting.

 

 [Gone Away- SafetySuit ](https://youtu.be/rF6g9VNdJ2w)

**I think about life**

**And oh how it changes so fast**

**And oh how it's so hard to last here**

**Waiting for something to give**

**I think about time**

**A luxury so hard to find**

**And I just can't figure out why**

**I wasted it all here without you**

**But I'll be fine**

**Oh don't you worry**

**'Cause I'll be fine**

**See I'm in a hurry**

**To be gone away awhile**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man 'cause I just don't know**

**I think about you**

**And all of the times that we shared**

**And oh what a wonderful pair**

**We made it so far, here we go again**

**I think about love**

**And oh what a beautiful song**

**And oh how it needs to be sung here**

**Sing it so loud all the world can hear**

**I think I'll be gone away awhile**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man cause I just don't know**

**I think I'll be gone away awhile**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man, 'cause I just don't know**

**No, no, I just don't know**

**And I just don't know**

**But I'll be fine**

**Oh don't you worry 'cause I'll be fine**

**See I'm in no hurry**

**No, I'll be fine**

**Oh don't you worry**

**'Cause I'll be fine**

**See I'm in a hurry**

**To be gone away awhile**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man 'cause I just don't know, no, no**

My voice cracks and I can feel tears running down my cheeks as I close my eyes and sing my entirety into the song, blocking out everything else.

**I think I'll be gone away a while**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man, 'cause I just don't know**

**No, no, I just don't know**

**Gone away awhile**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man 'cause I just don't know**

There’s a pregnant pause after the last note, before the bar roars. I raise my hand up in acknowledgment but turn my back as I wipe away the tears on my cheeks. I take one deep breath prior to returning to the microphone.

 

“That’s it for tonight guys, hope you enjoyed some of the new songs we’re coming up with.” I say to the crowd, but a movement out of the corner of my eye catches my attention. I see Alex making her way towards the exit and I rush the rest of my words.

 

“The tips tonight go to donating instruments to kids in areas high in poverty, help out the kids. Thank you.” I basically shout before jumping into the crowd and taking off after Alex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. I bawl my eyes out when I listen to the last two songs. If you gave them a listen is it just me or do they really hit you??


	52. Taco Bell?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it looks like I'll be finishing this story before continuing with Concrete Jungle. Sadly, this story is coming to a close and should be done in a few chapters. Hope you guys enjoy!

Alex’s POV

 

“Would you stop that!” Jack exclaims slapping my hands to stop me from wringing them nervously.

 

“I can’t help it! I’m fucking terrified.” I admit to my cousin, continuing to twist my hands together.

 

“Don’t be scared. Look Alex, the place is probably going to be packed. She probably wont even see you. You can just watch the show, and then leave right when it’s over so you she doesn’t have the chance of seeing you.” Jack confidently tells me.

 

I nod my head at his statement, trying to convince myself “Yeah ok. Yeah.”

 

“When is Allie getting here?”

 

“Umm she should be here any mi-“ I begin to say but stop mid-sentence at the ring of the doorbell.

 

“I guess that’s my cue.” I say quietly, not moving.

 

“Alex, are you sure you want to go?” Jack hesitantly asks.

 

“Yes.” I say vigorously.

 

“Better hop to it than Peter Rabbit.” He winks at me and gives me a small shove to put me into motion.

 

“Hey babe, you ready?” Allie says to me as soon as I open the door.

 

“As I’ll ever be.” I respond before walking to her car.

 

“So what is this place called again?” Allie asks, trying her best to diffuse my nerves as best as possible

 

“The Rusty Oak.”

 

“Hm. Never heard of it before, must not be super popular.”

 

“Kelley said that Tobin wanted to do the owner a favor. She wouldn’t tell me why though.” I say biting my lip as different scenarios run through my brain.

 

Allie talks the entire ride, attempting to fill the quiet car with some type of noise as I look out the window silently.

 

“Alex.” Allie calls out, giving me a small push, which makes me jump.

 

“We’re here.” She tells me once she sees that I’ve returned to the present.

 

It’s close to 9, the time the band is supposed to be playing, and we start walking towards the entrance when I feel my legs stop moving. My chest starts to contract, and I start to wheeze as breathing becomes difficult. I bend over, putting my shaking hands on my knees.

 

“Al?” I hear Allie call out in worry, kneeling in front of me as she puts her hands on my shoulders.

 

“I ju-just need a a minute.” I get out between shallow breaths.

 

“Fuck.” Allie mutters and hooks her arms underneath mine and help me stand. She basically carries me back to the car, pushing me into the seat before climbing into the drivers seat, grabbing the AUX cord quickly.

 

“Breath Alex. Breathe or you’re gonna have a panic attack.” She instructs me while soothing music start to ease out of the speakers.

 

I concentrate on taking deep breaths and clearing my mind. After 15 minutes, I turn to Allie with my eyebrows scrunched together.

 

“What is this?” I ask referring to the music.

 

“Moonlight Sonata. I read that classical music helps to calm down the mind.” Allie states.

 

“Thank you.” I say gratefully.

 

“No problem. You want to get out of the car or do you want a Taco Bell cheat meal?” She asks causing me to chuckle.

 

“No, I want to do this.” I say with determination, opening the car door once again.

 

“Round 2, here we go.” Allie sighs out, jogging to catch up to my long strides.

 

Prior to even entering the bar, I can hear the girls playing. I stop in my tracks when I identify the tune, causing Allie to bump into me at my sudden halt.

 

“Oof. Geeze Al a little warning would be nice. Oh shit do we need to go back to the car? Do we need a round 3??” She asks in worry when she sees my expression.

 

“No.”

 

“Do yo-“

 

“I just. I can’t go in during this song. Ca-can we just wait until it’s over before we go in?”

 

“Yeah of course Al.” She says and leans up against the brick wall, waiting for the song to end.

 

I prop myself on the wall next to Allie, closing my eyes as I rest my head against the bricks, letting the muffled tunes wash over me. When the final notes are played and I hear a cheer go up from the crowd, I push myself away from the wall and take a deep breath.

 

“What song was that? I couldn’t really catch it.” Allie inquiries.

 

“My favorite, Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.” I mutter before opening the large oak door.

 

I blink away the haze that coats the entire bar, noting how packed it is. My eyes flit to the stage, but before I can see her, Allie steps in front of me, blocking my view.

 

“Uh uh. You need a drink before you see her.” She says, and drags me toward the jam-packed bar. I close my eyes and clench my teeth together to avoid the urge to look at whom my entire being is drawn to.

 

It takes a few minutes to get our drink, and while Allies back is turned I chance a glance at the stage, looking for her. Her head is bent down, fiddling with her guitar, and I gaze with sorrow at the action that has become so familiar to me. I watch as her shoulders tense and her head pops up suddenly, looking into the crowd, searching vigorously for something.

 

“Al, lets go over here.” Allie says, grabbing my attention as well as my hand, causing me to turn away from the stage.

 

Allie and I get to a dark corner that not that many people are occupying, and I return my gaze to the stage. I observe as Kling makes eye contact with me before promptly hitting Pinoe over the head who appears angry until she turns to see what Kling is staring at. Pinoe’s jaw falls in shock and looks over her shoulder, motioning to Ash who is already looking at me with a stony expression. My eyes glance over to Kelley who is nervously biting her lip and tapping her foot as she looks between the girls, Tobin, and I. The weird actions of her friends catch Tobin’s attention and she turns to see what everyone is gawking at.

 

When we make eye contact I feel the air leave my lungs, and Allie placing a hand on my back to support me as her jaw drops at the sight of me. There are rings under Tobin’s eyes that look like they had been covered with concealer, but her sweat is starting to wash away, revealing how dark they are. Her face is gaunt and the way she holds herself, which used to be with such confidence, looks as if she were a puppy that didn’t know where she was. The worst part of Tobin’s appearance is her eyes. Even across the entire bar, I could see the amount of pain they hosted. We only looked at each other for 15 seconds, but it felt like it could have been hours. Tobin slowly picks her jaw up and bends over, downing the rest of her beer quickly. 

 

““Um we uh we’re going to play some new songs for you now, they’re a little different from our past stuff but I hope you guys like them still.” She mutters out in a low rough tone.

 

I bite my lip throughout the song, knowing every word was meant for me. She doesn’t look up once through the entire song, looking down at her guitar the entire time.

 

“Did you guys like that one?” She asks the crowd and everyone around us lets out a round of cheers and applause.

 

“Cool, we still have a few more songs to go through, so we hope you enjoy these too.” She says prior to adjusting her snapback, running her fingers through her sweaty hair. God what I would do to run my hands through her hair again.

 

“You ok Al?” Allie asks and I don’t turn my gaze away from Tobin, afraid to lose the limited amount of eye contact I have with Tobin.

 

“No, but I want to be here.” I say, watching Tobin announce the next song to the crowd without looking away from me.

 

Tears well in my eyes as I listen to the lyrics, quickly downing my drink. When it draws to a close, I take Allies drink out of her hand and throwing it back in one gulp. Allie doesn’t even protest, but takes the two empty glasses and returns shortly with a larger drink for me. She hands me one, but I’m not paying attention, Tobin had already started the next song. She was the only one playing, the other girls taking a break, sitting on stools and drinking beer. The single guitar makes the sadness of her song all the more punctuated, adding to the pain in her lyrics.

 

**I just let the silence swallow me up**

**The ring in my ears tastes like blood**

**Asking aloud, "Why you leavin'?"**

**But the pavement won't answer me**

**I know I meant nothing, nothing to you**

**I thought I meant something, something, something**

**But I just said nothing, said nothing, said nothing**

**Sat and watched you drive away**

**I just said nothing, said nothing, said nothing**

**I can't think of anyone, anyone else**

**I can't think of anyone, anyone else**

**I can't think of anyone, anyone else**

 

I raise my hand to my lips to stop the whimper that escapes from my mouth when I hear Tobin’s voice breaking the last few lines of the song. I wipe away the tears racing down my cheeks, taking a deep drink to get the lump out of my throat. I turn to ask Allie if we can leave, not being able to stand seeing Tobin in so much pain when I know I’m the cause of it.

 

“Hey ca-“

 

“Anybody got a shot they want to share with me?” Tobin shouts into the crowd and my head whips around.

 

I watch as an attractive climbs onto stage, and I feel my back straighten automatically. My blood boils when I see the way the girl is staring at Tobin, biting her lip as she smiles seductively at her. They take their shot and I let out a heavy breath as Tobin ushers her off the stage without a second look. I roll my eyes in annoyance when the girl jumps off the stage and all of her friends begin to squeal.

 

“This is our last song of the night guys, it’s been awesome performing in front of this great crowd.” She smiles to the crowd, dropping her eyes to her guitar, before glancing up at me for a moment, running her tongue over bottom lip.

 

 

**I think about life**

**And oh how it changes so fast**

**And oh how it's so hard to last here**

**Waiting for something to give**

**I think about time**

**A luxury so hard to find**

**And I just can't figure out why**

**I wasted it all here without you**

**But I'll be fine**

**Oh don't you worry**

**'Cause I'll be fine**

**See I'm in a hurry**

**To be gone away awhile**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man 'cause I just don't know**

**I think about you**

**And all of the times that we shared**

**And oh what a wonderful pair**

**We made it so far, here we go again**

I bite my lip hard to stop it from trembling as the pain in her voice soaks into me. She stares at me when she begins her next verse, angling her body so that it faced me.

**I think about love**

**And oh what a beautiful song**

**And oh how it needs to be sung here**

**Sing it so loud all the world can hear**

**I think I'll be gone away awhile**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man cause I just don't know**

**I think I'll be gone away awhile**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man, 'cause I just don't know**

**No, no, I just don't know**

She looks down as she focuses on playing, shaking her head slightly and closing her eyes as she gets into it.

**And I just don't know**

**But I'll be fine**

**Oh don't you worry 'cause I'll be fine**

**See I'm in no hurry**

**No, I'll be fine**

**Oh don't you worry**

**'Cause I'll be fine**

**See I'm in a hurry**

I feel my chest start to constrict as the passion in her voice rises, and she continues to look at me.

**To be gone away awhile**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man 'cause I just don't know, no, no**

Her voice cracks and I can feel tears running down my cheeks as I watch tears run down her own cheeks as she closes her eyes, no longer able to look at me.

**I think I'll be gone away a while**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man, 'cause I just don't know**

**No, no, I just don't know**

I lose it completely, my shoulders visibly shaking when Tobin is so overcome with emotions she cant even finish, her voice unable to get through the lyrics. Kelley, Pinoe, and Kling chime in to finish the last few lines, covering for Tobin who turns her back on the crowd.

**Gone away awhile**

**Tell me all the things that I**

**I'll be missing here in this old life**

**Man 'cause I just don't know**

 

“I cant be here anymore.” I choke out and Allie takes my hand without hesitation. She drags me through the applauding crowd, keeping my head down so no one would see me slowly crumbling.

 

We’re almost to the car when I hear a voice, that voice, calling out my name. I freeze in my tracks, wanting to turn around, but my body isn’t following my brain’s directions.

 

“Alex. Alex please.” I hear the voice croak out. Squeezing Allies hand for invisible strength, I force my body to slowly spin on my heel, turning to the person that mattered most to me.

 

 

Tobin’s POV  


My chest heaves as if I had just ran 10 miles, my entire body trembling as I await for Alex to look at me. When she does, I feel my knees wobble at finally being face to face with the person who has been haunting my thoughts for the past 2 weeks.

 

“Alex.” I sigh out.

 

“Tobin.” She responds in the same hushed tone.

 

“Wha-wh- how did you.” I stutter out, not being able to get my words across.

 

“I didn’t know that you guys were playing, I just heard this bar had good reviews.” She responds, knowing what I was asking without me needing to voice it.

 

“Oh.” I say, feeling like I had been sucker punched. She didn’t even come for you Tobin.

 

“I um, I’m just gonna go then.” I mutter out, rubbing the back of my flushed neck, beginning to turn on my heel.

 

“Tobin wait!” She cries out, making me stop halfway, halfway turned to Alex, halfway to the bar. I see out of the corner of my eye, Allie whisper something to Alex before walking away.

 

“I miss you.” She whisperers.

 

“Fucking hell Alex.” I mutter out, dropping my hands to my knees as I bend over.

 

“Tobin I miss you, I miss you so much.” She rasps out, walking towards me but when she gets too close, I straighten up and back away.

 

“Tobin….” She breathes out, a pained expression on her face.

 

“I-I cant. I cant be that close to you.” I admit.

 

“Do you miss me?” She asks and I let out a dark chuckle.

 

“Are you fucking kidding me? Did you not listen to any of the words I sang?!” I say looking at her in annoyed confusion, kicking an empty beer bottle in frustration. “Alex you were like a drug to me, something I couldn’t get enough of, something I wanted to have every single day of my life, and then you were ripped away from me. My entire body craves for you, my fingers burn to touch your skin. So yeah Alex, you could say that I miss you.”

 

I watch as Alex drops her head, her shoulders shaking, and it takes everything in me not to walk over and pull her into a hug.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Tobin.” She cries out, dropping to the ground.

 

I tip my head back, my eyes rolling up, and my jaw trembling as I try to get a grip on my emotions, forcing myself not to break down in front of Alex, who is sobbing on the ground 3 feet away from me. I blink away the tears and grit my teeth, cursing silently to myself. I look around to find the parking lot we’re in deserted so I step behind Alex, sit down, and pull her into me.

 

My skin feels like exploding when it comes in contact with hers, and I take a deep inhale, feeling as if Alex’s unique scent is filling me once again with life. I lean my head against the back of hers, clenching my eyes shut when I feel her body melt into mine.

 

“I miss you so much, I’m so sorry Tobin.” She blubbers, gripping onto my hand as if it’s her lifeline.

 

“It’s ok Alex.”

 

“It’s not! This is all of my fault!”

 

“Alex, you can’t come out to the world right now, and that’s ok. I understand. The press will continue to badger you about your sexuality as long as I’m around. I don’t want that for you.”

 

“You deserve someone so much better than me.” She sobs, her whole body shaking. My face contorts at the raw pain in her voice, and I curse when I feel a tear finding its familiar pathway down my cheek.

 

“Look at me.” I command, using my finger to turn her head so that we were staring at each other.

 

“You will always be the person I want.” I admit watching as her face crumbles in front of me.

 

“You shouldn’t, I don’t deserve you. You deserve someone who can scream it to the whole world how much they love you, and right now I just can’t be that person.” Alex confesses, not even bothering to wipe away her tears anymore. I gaze at Alex, taking in all of her features, memorizing them. Even when she is a mess she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

 

“I will always love you.” I whisper, running the back of my knuckles down her cheek.

 

“Me too.” She whimpers out.

 

My eyes glance down at her lips and I swallow roughly before scooting away from Alex and standing. I offer my hand to her, and help her stand up.

 

“I’m really trying Tobin.” Alex tells me and I nod my head, feeling my heart pounding as I realize our time together is coming to a close.

 

“Take care of yourself Alex.” I say quietly, shoving my hands into my jean pockets. She stands there for another minute, both of us staring at each other with unprecedented longing. The moment is broken when the bar door bangs open and a group comes out laughing loudly. Alex starts to back away, sending one last glance over her shoulder at me, before climbing into the car.

 

When her taillights are far enough away, I drop to my knees, my head falling into my hands, and I finally let the sobs wrack my body.

 

Allie’s POV  


I intensely watch Tobin and Alex talk to one another, almost climbing out of the car when I see Alex drop to the ground but stop when I see Tobin pull her body into hers. They sit there for maybe a minute, if even that, and I take in their surroundings, making sure no one is watching what is currently occurring. When I return my eyes to the pair after determining they were the only ones in that area, I see that they are both standing again.

 

Alex begins walking to the car, and I don’t even pull out my phone to pretend that I was looking at it instead of watching them. I do however grab some napkins from the center console, and have them ready for Alex when she climbs into the car. I hand them silently to her as she leans heavily against the seat, exhausted.

 

“Taco Bell?” I ask since it’s the first thing that comes to mind for some reason. Alex lets out the smallest smiles and nods her head.

 

“She seemed so in control.” Alex comments as we pull out of the parking lot.

 

“Looks can be deceiving.” I say, my eyes glancing into the rearview mirror to see a figure fall to their knees and sit huddled on the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are we thinking??


	53. Skeeball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I know I said on my tumblr a few days ago that I would be posting a chapter that night but my roommate/best friend came home a wreck because of her piece of shit fiancé cheated on her and then broke off the wedding. Sooo I've been dealing with a shit show on my end. My friend had to literally rip my keys out of my hand so I didn't drive to his house and slash everything of his. I'm sooo glad I don't have to put up with shitty fucking men in my life. Anyways enough about that, I hope you guys like this chapter. It's more of a filler chapter, but the next few( which will be the last) will be more promising I promise.

Three months later

Tobin’s POV 

“Yo Tobs!” I hear someone yell out, my head popping up from where it was focused on the game I was playing on my phone. I hear a crash on my phone and lean my head back in frustration, sighing dramatically. 

“Kelleyyy you just made me die! I was totally going to beat my high score!” I complain, tossing my phone onto the cushion next to me. 

“Eh you’ll beat it later, come on we’re gonna go hang at Brewbachers.” 

“It’s 10:30 in the morning Kel.” 

“When have you ever turned down beer, good food, and games?” Kelley asks with her eyebrows raised. 

“Ah what the hell we don’t have to go into the studio today anyways.” I say standing and stretching. 

“Sweet, I’m gonna round up the other gals.” Kelley bounces off, calling out loudly to the girls. 

In a short time we’re walking to the local pub that has become our hangout spot. We were fond of it mostly because the place and bar owner reminds us of Abby. It doesn’t hurt that they have over 50 beers on tap and have a hella cool area with bar games. Not to mention that we don’t get bothered much by people, so that’s a huge positive aspect as well. 

“What’s up Becky?” Ash calls out as we walk into the mostly empty bar considering the time of the day. 

“You guys already trying to stir up trouble in my bar? I’ve barely even turned on the lights.” She jokingly calls out at us. 

“Ehh I decided that I would spend my day off trying to destroy Ash’s skeeball record.” Kelley points over her shoulder to the game section. 

“And I’m gonna assume that you’re going to need some type of beverage to sustain your extreme athletic skills?” Becky rhetorically asks while getting two pitchers out. 

“You do know the way to my heart Beckaroo!” 

“Don’t call me that.”

“Roger Captain!” She salutes. 

Kel and I wait for Becky to fill the pitcher while the other girls go and sit at the large booth in the corner that we are slowly starting to stake as ours. We had started coming to the bar so much that Becky knew our order without even asking at this point. 

“So uh, is Emily going to be working today?” Kelley asks casually and I watch her out of the corner of my eye as she plays with the corner of a stack of napkins. I had my inklings that Kelley had a thing for the young bartender that worked here, usually spending half of her time flirting with her over the bar. 

“Yep, she’s running a little late but should be here in the next 15 minutes or so.” Becky informs us as she slides the two full pitchers of Shocktop along with glasses. 

“Ok cool, thanks.” Kel smiles at Becky before taking the pitchers and walking back to the girls with a little pep in her step. 

The next 2 hours are filled with us drinking several pictures of beer and spending a ridiculous amount of quarters on the skeeball machine and other games. Kelley shamelessly flirts with the younger bartender, truly putting all of her ‘O’Hara charm’ she claims to have, into the conversation. 

“Hey Emily.” I say to her, carrying the two empty pitchers and setting them on the bar. 

“Hey Tobs.” She responds giving me a friendly smile. 

“Tobito, do you know when we’ll be playing at the Rusty Oak again?” Kelley asks, and I’m about to tell her not for another month or so, but I watch as she widens her eyes, trying to silently communicate with me. 

“I think the girls were talking about doing a small gig there next week, you know besides today we’re pretty booked for the rest of the week.” I tell her with a slow nod of my head. 

“You know you should come.” Kelley casually says with a shrug to Emily.

“Should I?” 

“When’s the next time you’ll be personally invited by a member of WolfgangRythem to come to one of their gigs?” Kelley asks with a small challenging smirk. 

“My my aren’t we confident of ourselves.” Emily states, raising an eyebrow teasingly. 

“It’s hard not to be.” Kelley winks and it takes everything in me not to roll my eyes.

“Too bad I’m not into cocky band members, no matter how cute they are.” She says, busying herself with refilling the pitchers. 

Kelley facial expression drops but brightens slightly when she hears Emily call her cute. Kelley pushes herself off of the bar and gives Emily her most charming smile, not deterred by Emily’s comment. 

“I’m gonna charm you one of these days Miss. Emily.” She states with a rap of her knuckles against the wooden bar before strutting away to join the girl in an intense card game. 

“You know I’m just playing with her right?” Emily asks, still watching the beer fill the pitcher. 

“I know that Kelley can be very forward.” I say with a small chuckle, which she responds with one of her own with a nod of her head. 

“That she can be. I just don’t want her to think I want to hang out with her because you guys are a famous band. You guys are awesome by the way.” She adds. 

“I get that, and thank you.” I say with a kind smile. 

“Have to admit, I was kind of star struck when you guys came in here like a month ago and casually ordered beer, but once I started seeing you guys like 5 times a week and chatting with you, I can see that you guys really are just normal people.” She thinks out loud, sliding the two pitchers to me. 

“We’re pretty normal you know. Besides the upcoming famous band thing.” I smirk and she lets out a ringing laugh. 

“Yeah besides that.” She chuckles out. 

“You should come next Friday, Kelley would be excited.” 

“Yeah I think I can make that happen.” She smiles at me and I give her a wide grin of my own before walking back to the table with the girls. 

We all have a proper buzz by 2 o’clock and there’s talk of catching an Uber to the beach and chilling out. Pinoe and Kling argue saying they’ll get burnt and will have a hell of a hangover tomorrow from the combination of the heat of the sun and all of the beer they’ve drank. 

“Well what else are we going to do? If I try one more round of skeeball and don’t beat this dumbass’ record I’m gonna lose it.” Kelley states and none of us doubt her. 

“Look I’m gonna get one more round, by the time we finish this round we’re committing to something for the rest of the day!” I slap my hand on the table rising a little wobbly from my seat. 

“One more round?” Emily asks and I give her a goofy grin and nod of my head. 

While I wait for Emily to bring back our pitchers I glance up at the multiple TVs above the bar, my heart skips a beat. I watch on the screen as Alex sits in a chair talking to Ellen. My eyes soak in every feature of her that the TV offers, observing how tired she looks. My eyebrows scrunch together as I notice that she’s lost weight that she didn’t need to lose and that she has makeup covering circles under her eyes. 

“Damn. You know I thought she was supposed to be ‘America’s Sweetheart’, dude she looks like shit. She was way more hot before she got caught making out with that chick.” The guy sitting on the stool next to me slurs to his friend. My spine straightens, and I no longer lean on the bar as my face becomes stony. 

“Agreed. I mean fuck that sucks she goes from smoking hot to looking like shit. Bro I used to get off to her but not anymore.”

“Shut the fuck up.” I whisper out angrily, causing the two guys to turn on their stools and stare at me. 

“What the fuck did you just say?” One of them asks. 

“I said shut the fuck up.” I grit out, slowly turning towards them. 

“Who the hell do you think you are?” The taller of the two says standing from his stool, reeling slightly from how drunk he is. 

“Tobin, Tobin here’s your beer.” Emily slides the beer in between me and the two guys, trying to break the tension. 

“Wait I know you, you’re the girl she was kissing outside that club.” The one closest to me says with one eye squinting at me. My jaw tightens and I look back to Emily who is looking between the two guys and me. 

“Damn she should’ve stayed to dick if you were what she switched over for.” One chuckles out and I can feel the blood rushing to my head and my breathing increase. 

“Hey how good of a fuck was she?” I feel someone whisper in my ear, laying a hand on my shoulder. 

Without even thinking, I spin around, swinging my arm and hitting him across the face as hard as I could. He staggers away from me while the blood pounds in my ears and my whole body shaking. 

“You fucking bitch!” He bellows, pulling his hand away from his nose that is spewing blood, before charging me. 

He pins me up against the bar and I hiss out at the pressure of the bar digging into my back. He goes to swing his fist at me but I duck quickly, punching him right between the legs for good measure while I was bent over. He falls to the ground groaning and I look down at him, grimacing. Forgetting about his friend, I don’t realize my mistake until I see a fist come flying towards me out of the corner of my eye. In my drunken state, I don’t even have time to react before his fist catches my eyebrow on the left side of my face. I drop to the ground with the force of the punch, slightly dazed. 

From my spot on the ground I see Ash come up from behind the guy and tackle him to the floor. Kelley comes into my line of vision almost as if in slow motion and I blink slowly at her, starting to realize that something is dripping into my left eye. 

“Fuck.” I mumble as I raise my hand up to my eyebrow and I pull it away to find blood on my fingers. 

“Fucking hell Tobin.” Kelley whispers as she helps me up. “Em can you get us some ice??” 

“Yeah yeah of course.” Emily shakily says, still a bit shocked at what just occurred. 

I turn my head to the commotion that’s taking place only a few feet away. Ash is scolding at the two drunks, trying to push them out of the bar. 

“Yeah yeah go ahead and sue, everyone saw you put your hands on our friend first so you can fuck right off.” She says slowly backing them out of the bar. 

“This is bullshit!” He exclaims, ready to continue arguing, but his friend senses that they lost the battle and eventually pulls his friend out the door. 

“Dude what the hell just happened?” Kling asks in shock. 

“They were fucking dicks.” I mutter out. Emily comes around the bar and holds the napkin clad ice up to my eyebrow and I hiss at the contact. 

“What did they do?” Pinoe pushes. 

“They were talking shit about Alex.” I say softly, looking at the ground. 

“What did they say?” Kel chimes in curiously. 

I sigh, rubbing the eye that isn’t throbbing, before pointing up at the TV above us. I can hear sighs of understanding come from some of the girls. 

“He basically said Alex looks like shit, somehow recognized me, and then proceeded to ask me how good of a fuck Alex is.” I spit out in disgust.

“What a fucking pig!” Pinoe says immediately. 

“If I had known that I would have punched the ever living shit out of him.” Ash angrily states. 

“Are you ok Tobin?” Emily asks. 

“Yeah, if I wasn’t drunk I totally would have seen that other guy coming towards me.” I joke, wincing when Emily shifts the ice on my face. 

“Do you wanna get out of here?” Kling asks quietly. 

“Yeah. Can I have a couple shots first though?” 

“I think you deserve that bud.” Kelley pats me on the back. 

“Cruzan. 2 doubles please Emily.” 

“Yeah you got it champ.” She says, setting out the glass for me.

“Alright, thank you Emily for the lovely afternoon prior to the last 15 minutes, but I’m getting the fuck out of here.” I say to her after taking the shots. I pull out several bills and place them on the bar, making sure to give Emily a very large tip. 

“Don’t let what happened scare you guys off.” She calls out. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll be back in here tomorrow!” I call over my shoulder, still pressing the ice to my face, and her laughter follows us out of the bar. 

“I shouldn’t even be surprised.” She chuckles after us. 

“Dude.” Ash says as soon as we are in the apartment. 

“I know I know.” I sigh out, collapsing on the couch. 

“You cant do that shit anymore Tobs, we’re in the media now.” 

“I fucking know that!” I raise my voice in frustration. 

“There’s no way one of those photographers didn’t get a snap of your ugly mug.” Pinoe jokes referring to the several paparazzi that had followed us the short walk back from the bar to our apartment. 

“Maybe it’ll add to the tough chick look Paul is trying to get me to have.” I respond with a roll of my eyes. 

“Yeah well I think having a bar fight will definitely do that to your image.” Pinoe says in an undertone. 

“You-I just-guys you should have heard the way they were talking about Alex! I just couldn’t help it!” I choke out, leaning back against the pillows, and bringing my hands up to my eyes. 

“It was probably well deserved Tobs, but you really do have to be more careful.” Kling quietly states as she sits beside me with her computer. 

“I know I know.”

“I think those boxing classes are starting to get to you.” Kelley says, trying to lighten the mood. When I’m not in the studio, I’m in a gym down the street with a personal trainer, Marco, working out all of my frustration. We mostly stick to boxing, which is fine by me. 

“Yeah, I’m basically the next Rocky.” I darkly chuckle out as I stand and walk towards the freezer, grabbing a bottle of vodka. I turn back around to find all of the girls looking at me apprehensively. 

“I’m fucking fine guys.” I grumble out. Not wanting to be hovered over, I climb the stairs to the Upper West Side, and close the door behind me. 

I lean against the wall and crumble to the ground, biting my lip to stop the sobs from escaping my body. I close my eyes and slam my head against the wall. 3 months. It had been 3 months since I had so much as seen a picture of Alex. Seeing her look that broken and thin on TV, made my chest feel as if someone had taken a shotgun to it. 

I’ve been doing my best to put on a strong face ever since Kelley had found my on the ground in the parking lot of The Rusty Oak 3 month ago, but when I’m alone, everything crashes down on me again. I wipe the snot away from my nose with the back of my hand, taking a swig of vodka. At this point I don’t cringe, but welcome the burning sensation that trickles down my throat and through my chest. The door opens a few minutes later and Kel walks in, not surprised to see me in my current condition. 

“Go away Kelley.” I mumble, but she ignores me and slides down the wall until she’s resting next to me. 

“I don’t want to be around people Kelley!” I yell at her, wanting to wallow in my own misery. 

“Then you leave, because I’m not leaving you.” She casually states, pulling a joint from her pocket and proceeding to light it. 

My jaw trembles as I go to argue with her, but collapse against the wall, not having the energy to object further. Kel silently passes the joint to me, which I take gratefully. After I take several hits I pass it back to her, leaning my head onto her shoulder as I do so. 

“What’s the point of finding the one if it’s not the right time?” I whisper to her, closing my eyes at the feel of her running her hands through my hair. 

“I don’t know babe, I don’t know.” She says, and we fall into what is becoming our normal position of me crying on her shoulder while she holds me until I can pull myself together enough not to let everyone see the cracks that are slowly destroying me.


	54. Woh...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the absence!

“Hey you guys take a break for a second, I’ve got some news.” Paul’s voice sounds over the intercom, interrupting us messing around with a new song. 

I put down my guitar and take off the pair of earphones, tousling my hair as I walk into the booth. 

I sit on one of the large leather couches, taking a swig of water as I do. Kelley playfully jumps on the couch beside me, causing me to chuckle as I get lifted in the air slightly. 

“Ladies I’ve got some good news. Remember about 9 months ago you recorded that song Wasted Youth for the movie Youth?” Paul asks us once we’ve all sat down. 

“Yeah, I really liked that song.” Pinoe chimes in. 

“Well the movie got nominated for the Golden Globe Awards and the committee has informed me that they would like you to play at the awards alongside Lady Gaga and Ed Sheeran.” 

“What?!” We all ask in shock.

“We just got invited to play at the Golden Globe Awards!?” Kelley screeches out loud. 

“No fucking way…” I whisper in shock. 

“Yes fucking way.” Paul chuckles at us. 

“Holy shit! Ed fucking Sheeran?!” I exclaim. 

“When are you gals gonna realize how fuckin good you are?” Ruby drawls out from her chair. 

“She’s right. I still don’t think you girls realize how big you’ve become in the last few months. When you release your second album, which is soon I believe?” He questions us with his eyebrows raised. “ There’s talk of you going on tour.”

“TOUR?!” Kling shouts standing up from her seat. 

“Yes tour.” Paul answers her, an amused grin on his face. 

“Tour.” Kling repeats to herself quietly, falling back against the couch. 

“We’ll talk about that later kids. This upcoming Friday there’s a red carpet event. A charity booster for CURE International. It would look really good if you were to attend.” 

“I don’t have any plans so I’m in.” I say immediately. 

“I know the organization, count me in as well.” Ash says seriously, the rest of the girls also saying they would attend. 

“Fantastic. It would also look better if you each had dates.” He comments. 

“Dates?!” We all exclaim. 

“Yes dates. It doesn’t look good showing up to a red carpet event single. I’ll get Rose to email you the details.” He calls over his shoulder as he walks out of the room. 

“Well, Ali is going to love this. There goes a shit ton of my money.” Ash jokes as she pulls out her phone and walks out the room. 

“Well she’s got a for sure date, what about the rest of us losers?” Kling ask. 

“Speak for yourself, I’ve got a plethora of ladies to choose from.” Pinoe states. 

“Yeah, I’ve basically got a date too.” Kelley says. 

“Who?!” Kling asks. 

“None of your beeswax.” 

“Oh please we all know you’re gonna invite Emily from BrewBachers. You guys were basically glued to each other’s sides last Friday at the Rusty Oak after the show.” Pinoe says rolling her eyes. 

“Yeah so what.” Kelley responds, her cheeks slightly red.

“Aww KelBels got a lille cwush.” Pinoe teases Kelley in a baby voice. 

“Shutup.” Kelley pushes Pinoe down onto the couch, causing her to laugh loudly. 

“It’s alright Kling, I’m with you on being a loser.” I joke darkly, giving her a small smile. 

“Well now darling I wouldn’t speak so fast.” Ruby smirks at me. 

“What do you mean?” I ask, scrunching my eyebrows together. 

“I’ll be your date beaut.” 

“You’ll be my date?” My eyebrows raise. 

“Don’t make me spell it out. We’ll look good together on the carpet, and it’ll be fun. Pick me up at 7.” She runs her fingers over my shoulder as she walks out of the door. 

I stay frozen in my spot as everyone watches Ruby walk out of the door before bursting out loudly. 

“DUDE she still has a thing for you after all this time!” Pinoe shouts!

“Do it Tobs, it’ll be a good time!” Kel punches me on the arm. 

I nod my head to myself, thinking that maybe bringing Ruby as my date wouldn’t be such a bad thing. 

“Yeah, yeah I think I will.” I smile at the girls and all except Kling raise their arms in celebration. 

“I guess I’m fucking chopped liver.” Kling says her arms out wide as she flops back down onto the couch. 

…

Friday night I look at myself in the mirror, running my hands through my casual but slick back and styled hair. My makeup was done darker than I’ve ever had it before, giving me a sharp smoldering look with my slicked back hair. 

“Thanks George, you did a great job.” I compliment. 

“Oh honey you’re gonna look F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S on that red carpet tonight. Whoever picked that suit out for you knew what they were doing.” He tells me, motioning with his hand at my suit. 

I run my hands over the jacket of my suit, admiring the quality of the suit. I straighten my tie, taking in the way the pants hug my frame but are somehow still loose. 

“Yeah well when you have a Tom Ford suit tailored to fit you its kinda hard not to look good in it.” I joke causing George to laugh at me. 

“You look great darling, just don’t mess up my makeup and hair.” He fake threatens before walking out of the door. 

“Holy fucking shit.” Ash says when I descend down the stairs. 

“God Damn Tobin! Ow ow!” Pinoe calls out. 

“Tobin if I didn’t know you’re goofy ass for over a decade I would totally bang you.” Kelley says looking me up and down. 

“First off, thank you. Second off ew Kelley stay away from me.” I say giving her a light push. 

“As fine as all of you ladies look, we all know I’m the flyest looking mother fucker here.” Kling struts out in a maroon suit, her short hair styled to perfection. 

“Sorry Kling, but I think this stud takes first place.” Ali says, running her hands down Ashyln’s chest. 

“Damn lets just all agree that we all look fucking fine.” Pinoe says looking at all of us. 

“Alright lets get going, we need to pick up our dates.” I say rounding up the crew as we walk out the door. 

We ride around in a limo, picking up our dates one by one, drinking champagne and enjoying one another’s company. Emily is our first date that we collect, and I chuckle as I physically have to pick up Kelley’s chin so that she didn’t embarrass herself. Emily was in a red dress that left nothing to the imagination. 

“You look stunning Emily.” I compliment her as she slides into the limo. 

“Thank you Tobin, so do you.” She smiles widely back before looking at Kelley who still hadn’t said a word, but was just staring at Emily. 

“Has she been like this all night?” Emily chuckles and points to Kelley.

“Unfortunately no, she usually cant stop talking. We’re gonna have to keep you around just for the sole purpose of you stealing Kelley’s ability of speech.” Kling jokes as she sips on her champagne. Kelley turns to Kling and reaches out to pop her across the head. 

“Not the hair not the hair!” Kling chants, leaning as far away as she could before Kelley turns back to Emily.

“You look absolutely gorgeous.” Kelley whispers to Emily, placing a hand on her thigh. 

A light blush sprouts across Emily’s cheeks as she thanks Kelley with a small kiss to the cheek, who in turn looks at us with a bright smile across her face. 

We pick up Pinoe and Kling’s dates, an owner of a small record and coffee shop and one of the guy sound producers at Warner Brothers, before picking up Ruby at her apartment. 

When she walks out the door in a slim white dress that shows off her entire back and tattoos I find myself biting my lip. I stand out of the limo and open the door for her. Her vibrant smile brightens at my action and she runs her eyes up and down my figure, taking my outfit in. 

“You know I thought it was impossible for you to be any sexier Heath…. I guess I was wrong. You are the definition of a stud.” She smirks at me, running her hands over my shoulder and down my arm. 

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” I flirt back, letting my own eyes roam over her. Ruby winked at me before taking my extended hand and lowering herself into the limo. 

The short ride to the charity event is filled with laughter and several champagne flutes and Ruby having an ever-present hand on my knee. The first few minutes I clench my jaw and drink the champagne faster than I should, but eventually I relax, allowing Ruby to continue to touch me flirtingly. 

When we step out of the limo, we’re blinded by the amount of pictures being taken of us. I assist Ruby out of the limo and offer my arm to her as we walk down the carpet. 

“Tobin! Tobin when is the new album coming out?!” A reporter asks. 

“Soon.” I respond with a smile. 

“Tobin what are you wearing?” 

“Tom Ford.” 

“Who are you with?!” Another cries out. 

“This is Ruby Rose, a coworker and friend.” I say smiling at Ruby who grins back at me. 

“Tobin, Tobin are you and Alex Morgan still seeing each other?!” Someone calls out as I turn to walk away. I freeze in my tracks, and I can feel Ruby slightly pulling on my arm, but I spin on my heel anyways. 

“Alex is a very dear friend of mine. I owe everything I have to her.” I simply state before gently grabbing Ruby and leading her inside. 

As soon as we’re out of view of the photographers, I place a hand on the wall and lean over, trying to take in deep breaths. 

“Tobin are you ok?!” Ruby worriedly asks.

“Yes.” I say straitening up. “Just need a drink.” 

I place my hand on Ruby’s lower back and lead her towards the bar, where I order a two flutes of champagne, handing one to Ruby. We meet back up with the girls and we go as a group to socialize with some of the founders of the charity. 

“Yes, I think it’s absolutely amazing what you do and w-“ I’m mid-conversation when something catches my eye and I cant help my voice from halting. Behind the woman I’m talking to I see Alex walk in, not alone. My jaw instinctively clinches as I take in the handsome and chiseled brunette that has his arms around Alex, happily leading her through the crowd. I shake my head slightly and close my eyes before continuing my conversation, excusing myself a few moments later. I grab Ruby, not roughly, but urgently away from her conversation. 

“T-Tobin what’s wrong?” 

“I need you with me right now.” I tell her, my eyes following a certain figure across the room. 

Ruby takes in my expression and looks at the pair across the room, letting out a sigh of understanding. 

“No words needed Tobs.” She whispers to me, and moves even closer so that our sides touched as we walked to the bar. 

Several hours later and more flutes of champagne then I could count, Paul finally gives us the head nod, silently telling us that our presence is no longer needed. Before leaving I pull out my checkbook and write a check for $20,000 and hand it to one of the benefiters. 

I feel the hairs on my neck stand up and I turn, looking over my shoulder only to freeze mid turn. Alex is staring at me with an expression I cant read. Anger? Regret? Sadness? Grief? I cant pinpoint it. We stare at each other, 20 feet apart, but I swear I can smell Alex’s perfume. I watch as her date catches her attention, and the two pose for a picture, both showing their picturesque smiles to the camera. I feel sick to my stomach at the site, and dont even thinking about my actions as I lean into Ruby

“Come home with me?” I whisper seductively into Ruby’s ear, my hand gliding down her back. 

Ruby turns to me with questioning eyes, but they slowly melt into a smoldering gaze before she nods her head. I slide my hand into hers and intertwine our fingers, leading her towards our awaiting limo. I glance over my shoulder as I open the car door for Ruby, only to see Alex staring at me. She inhales deeply and I watch as she turns, wiping away at her right eye prior to plastering on a smile for the cameras. I clench my jaw and basically slam the car door behind me, pulling a shocked Ruby onto my lap. 

…

Kelley’s POV

“You know I hate to say I told you so…” I smirk at Emily as we walk hand in hand down the hallway to my apartment. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She responds aloofly. I throw my head back in laughter and notice how much effort it’s taking her not to smile. I push Emily gentle against the wall, stepping in so that there was no space between us, and run my lips up her neck. 

“I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.” I murmur against my neck. 

“I really don’t.” She says breathlessly, and I cant help but smirk at the effect I’m having on her. I pull away only to lean forward until my lips are lightly brushing against hers. 

“I’m talking about how I told you you would eventually fall for my charms… and eventually into my bed.” I whisper against her lips. 

“Well I’m not in your bed am I?” She challenges me and I cant help the grin that crosses my face. 

“No, but I can fix that.” I tell her, grabbing her hand and quickly walking the rest of the way, dragging a giggling Emily behind me. 

We’re both laughing by the time I’ve finally opened the apartment, but my laughter halts when I see Ruby Rose walking down the stairs. 

“Ruby?” I questioningly call out and her head shoots up. 

“Look nothing happened.” 

“Dude it’s 1 in the morning and you’re sneaking out of the apartment. Not that I care, but you don’t have to lie about it.” I chuckle at her. 

“Nothing happened Kelley.” She sighs, running a hand through her usually perfect cropped hair. “We got back here, things got heated, but the moment I took off her knicke-“

“Ew Ruby I don’t need to hear this.” I wave my hands in front of me and scrunch up my face in disgust. 

“Yeah you do . When I took off her knickers she burst into tears. And I’m not talking about a little crocodile tear, I’m talking about sobs shaking her body. I tried to comfort her but she wouldn’t let me touch her again.” 

“Fuck.” I run my hands over my face. 

“I’m sorry, look I didn’t do anything wrong. She asked me to come back here, I didn’t force her.” She earnestly explains to me with wide eyes. 

“I know I know, Tobin is just…” I let the sentence fall while I try to think of a word to describe Tobin over the last 8 months. 

“Still in love with Alex?” Ruby supplies for me and we share a grim expression. 

“She really did a number on her didn’t she?” Ruby asks and all I can do is nod my head. 

“Yep. She sure did.” I say looking up at Tobin’s room. I feel someone touch my arm, and I look over to realize I had completely forgotten about Emily for a moment. 

“Thanks for the heads up Ruby, I’ll see you at work.” I tell her and Ruby gives me a small smile as she leads herself out. 

“Em…” I breathe out. 

“You don’t have to say anything, take care of Tobin.” She says gently, beginning to follow Ruby out the door. 

“Wait! Don’t leave!” I call out to her, grabbing her hand to keep her from leaving. 

“Kel you need to take care of Tobin.” 

“I know. I am, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave. Would you spend the night? Please?” I add when I see Emily hesitate. 

“How can I say no when you’re giving me that look and begging.” Emily rolls her eyes with a smile. 

“My room is the first door on the right.” I point out as we walk up the stairs. 

“Hey Kel.” Emily calls out to me as I keep walking towards Tobin’s room. 

I spin on my heel and look at her with a questioning expression. She takes the two steps towards me, places a hand on the back of my neck, and leans in pressing a deep but chaste kiss on my lips. 

“You’re a really good friend.” She says backing away from me. 

“Well if I had known all I needed to do was be a good friend for you to do that, I would have shown you my soft side a lot sooner.” I joke as I run my tongue over my bottom lip. 

“Go be a good friend.” She pushes me towards Tobin’s room, leaving me with a wide smile before turning into my room. 

I watch her leave before I take a deep breath and walk carefully into Tobin’s room. My heartbreaking as I find Tobin basically naked curled into a ball on her bed, her whole body shaking with the force of her silent sobs. I don’t even hesitate as I climb into bed behind Tobin and wrap my arms around her. 

“I tried Kelley, I tried.” Tobin chokes out. 

“I know babe.” I hush into her ear. 

“I thought I could. I-I really really did.” She trembles out. 

“Maybe you just need a little more time.” 

“It-it’s been 8 months Kels.”

“To-“

“What if I cant love again? What if im broken?”

“Aw no Tobin you’re not, that’s not going to happen.” I say, pulling her closer to me. 

“I feel broken.” She breathes out so quietly I hardly hear it. 

“You’re not Tobin, you’re going to get passed this. You have me, and Ash, and Kling, and Pinoe. We’re all here for you and we’re not going to let you be broken ok babe? Tobs?” I peer at her, realizing she was so exhausted from crying she had fallen asleep on me. I place a soft kiss on top of her head before carefully rolling out of bed. 

“I thin- woh….” I stutter out when I see Emily sitting on my bed. 

She had stripped out of her dress and was sitting with her legs crossed, only in a black lingerie piece that showed off her absolutely perfect body. 

“Em…” I breathe out, not even caring that my jaw was hanging open as I take her in. 

“Are you going to stop drooling or are you going to join me?” She asks cockily, extremely pleased with the affect she’s having on me. 

“Let’s see how cocky you are in 3 minutes.” I smirk at her as I start to take off my jacket.


	55. Bat Shit Crazy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I knowwww. It's been a long time. Hopefully this makes up for it.

“Would you stop freaking out, you look great.”

 

“I cant look great Allie, I have to look perfect.” I tell her.

 

“Alex, you always look perfect, everyone agrees with me!” Allie protest.

 

“I don’t care what other people think, I just care what SHE thinks.” I say as I glance down at my red dress.

 

“She’d be insane if you’re plan doesn’t work Al.”

 

“She’d be sane if it didn’t.” I whisper to myself.

 

“Hey, look at me.” Allie says and I turn to see her eyes only a few inches from mine.

 

“The plan will work out. There’s no way she’ll let you do this and it not workout, I didn’t know her very well, but I do know this. If it doesn’t my name isn’t Allie Long.” She confidently tells me and I chuckle even though I have butterflies in my stomach.

 

“Ok, let’s do this.” I sigh out, walking past her.

 

Tobin’s POV

 

I let out a large breath as we ride in the limo to the awards ceremony, my hand tapping against my leg insistently. I knew there was a very high probability of seeing Alex tonight, seeing as she was a nominee for best actress.

 

“Yo take a deep breath Tobs.” Kelley whispers in my ear and I do as she says. “Just think, tomorrow you’re gonna be catching a flight out to Palawan island and you’ll be able to detox for 3 weeks.”

 

“I know, just get through tonight and I’m getting the fuck out of this town.” I mutter before opening the door to the parked limo and climbing out.

 

I raise my hand and plaster on a wide smile as people call out to me, trying to get my attention. I stop to give comments to a few reporters, but try to go inside as quickly as possible. Even though I’ve been in the presence of a lot of famous people within the last year, I’m still shell shocked at the amount of talent surrounding me.

 

“Whattttt, that’s Meryl fucking Streep.” Kling hisses in my ear.

 

“I think I can die and go to heaven, Kristen Stewart just touched my shoulder and said she loved our music… I’m so gay…” Kelley says with wide eyes.

 

“My goal of the night is to talk to Ellen Page.” Pinoe responds, her neck craning over the heads of people as if Ellen Page would pop up out of nowhere.

 

We socialize for another half hour before being led to our seats, which were about 3 rows from the stage. The first 5 awards were to be given, Ed Sheeran would play, another 5 would be given and then we were up. I was content with staying in my seat with Ash while all Kelley, Kling, and Pinoe wanted to do was try and socialize with the stars around us. I watch as a figure in a red dress gracefully floats across the room, and I cant help but inhale sharply.

 

“She’s so fucking beautiful.” I breathe out, welcoming the dull ache in my chest that’s replaced the sharp staggering pain.

 

“You ok Tobs?” Ash leans into me.

 

“Yeah, I’m actually ok.” I say, watching Alex for a moment more before turning to Ash and giving her a small smile. She smiles back at me, patting my leg gently.

 

The awards ceremony begins and soon I’m laughing along with everyone else at Ellen DeGeneres who is the host of the show. We run through the 4 first awards quickly, all of us standing up, clapping, and wolf whistling when Youth won an Oscar for original score, knowing we helped and were apart of the win, we even got a shout out in the acceptance speech.

 

“Next we are going to announce the artist that have brought to life the women we fell in love with this year. Whether they were the woman trying to single handily fight racism in her town, the woman sneaking American troops across the Alps out of Nazi occupied France, the woman struggling through the depths of life, or the woman trying to find a will to live. The artists who have brought these characters to life are our nominees for actress in a leading role. Viola Davis, Greenwood. Alex Morgan, American Flyer. Meryl Streep, Hope. And Jessica Chastain, The Gold Scale.” Matt Damon reads to the crowd.

 

My heart is in my throat and I grip the arm of my chair tightly as I watch Matt Damon slowly unseal the envelope and pull out the card. He gives a small smile before announcing.

 

“Alex Morgan, American Flyer!”

 

I smile widely, feeling tears come to my eyes as I watch Alex rise in shock from her seat, slowly making her way to the front as the entire amphitheater stands and applauds her. Even though I’m several rows back from the stage, I can still see Alex’s hand shaking as she accepts the award.

 

“Um hi.” She mutters out and the entire crowd laughs and chuckles at her reaction.

 

“This is uh, this is something I’ve only ever dreamed about, I never thought it would happen to me. I um I want to thank Tony who I know I couldn’t have gotten here without, who is probably smiling down at me right alongside my parents, who gave everything up in this world for me. I’d like to thank Mark and my crew, Bill Machato for this opportunity to work on this amazing film, to my costar Andrew thank you for putting up with me and I sincerely enjoyed our prank wars on set. ” She smiles shakily out at the crowd, wiping a way a silent tear from her cheek. She looks around the room for a moment, before her eyes land on me.

 

“Thank you for this award. It means a lot that all of my hard work for this movie has paid off. Ever since I was a child I’ve only ever wanted to act, and it wasn’t until the last 2 years I realized how good of an actress I actually am. I’m not talking about my films, I’ve been acting every single day of my life.” She says to the room, her eyes never leaving mine though and I can feel my heartbeat accelerating.

 

“I have been acting the part of a straight woman, when I am in fact gay… I have no idea how this will effect my career but I no longer want to hide because I am what I am, and I’m proud to love who I love. Tobin, I thank you for always being there for me, even from afar. I love you more than I can possibly iterate, letting you walk away was the biggest mistake of my life. Thank you.” She chokes up, looking down at the award in her hand. The room is silent before the crowd erupts into a standing applause, causing Alex to cover her mouth as she is overcome with emotion.

 

I’m frozen in my spot, unable to even move as what Alex had just said begins to sink in. Everyone around me, the entire amphitheater, continues to applause while I stand there motionless not taking my eyes off Alex who is being ushered off of the stage. Did she just say out loud she loves me? On one of the biggest stages in the world?

 

“Dude.” Kelley shaking my shoulders and rubbing my face, her hands coming away wet.

 

“Why is my face wet?” I ask, still in a state of disorientation

 

“Because you’re crying.” She states.

 

“Did that just happen?” I ask breathlessly.

 

“Dude, you’d better get your ass to her as quick as you can because she just outed herself to the entire world and told everyone she loves you. I can’t imagine the amount of courage that had to have taken, so get a fucking move on.” Kelley shoves me out into the walkway.

 

I walk in a daze out of the amphitheater and into the lobby unsure of where to go until I see Mark quickly walking down a hallway.

 

“Mark. Mark!” I call out after him, breaking into a jog. He turns around, his expression brightening when he sees me.

 

“C’mon Tobin.” He smiles at me.

 

My hands start to shake as we walk down a bustling corridor, pushing by rushing people until we come to a door.

 

“If I were you, I’d drop onto my knees in front of her. She just came out on live television. For you. I don’t even know if you’re worthy enough for her.” He contemplates, his head tilting to the side. Mark silently ushers me into the room, closing the door behind me, causing Alex to turn around and spot me.

 

“Tobin…”

 

“Alex…”

 

We both breathe out each other’s names at the same time, our chests heaving as we stare at one another from across the room.

 

“Alex.” I choke out, stumbling towards her.

 

I hop over the couch, not wanting to waste anymore time, and crash into her arms. I cant help the tears that pour from my eyes as I squeeze Alex’s body to mine, breathing in the scent of her that I had almost forgotten. I feel her shoulders shake along with mine as we both let our emotions fly free, unable to keep them tethered any longer.

 

“I love you Tobin, I love you so much. I’m so sorry it took so long, I’m so sorry I didn’t-“ She cries into my shoulder.

 

“Shh, shh.” I shush her, taking her face into my hands and letting my eyes rove over her face. The face, that even though was covered in tears and maybe a little snot, was the most perfect face in the world, and the one I never thought I would get to hold again.

 

“I love you.” I whisper to her. She runs her hands up the back of my neck and pulls me into a furious kiss. My lips go numb and I feel my knees buckle at the contact of her sweet soft lips on mine, but Alex somehow holds me up, not letting me move an inch.

 

“I cant believe you just did that.” I murmur against her lips.

 

“I had to, I couldn’t stand another moment without you. When I first saw you I never expected that you would mean the world to me. Now, you’re the only one I want in it. I was so stupid for letting you leave, for me to allow my fear to cause so much pain. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry it took me so long.” She whispers, her hands stroking the side of my face and washing away my tears with her thumbs.

 

“I cant believe this is real. This is real right??” I ask and she throws her head back in laughter, and a wide smile spreads across my face, not realizing how rejuvenating that sound is.

 

“Yes this is real baby.” She smiles, kissing me passionately.

 

“I’m never letting you go ever again.” I admit, resting my forehead against hers, breathing in her proximity.

 

“I wouldn’t dare let you.” She sighs back.

 

We hear a knock on the door and we both turn to see Kelley making an apologetic face at the both of us.

 

“Tobin, we’re on in 15, we need to get ready. Hey Al, beautiful speech.” Kelley smiles beyond me at Alex.

 

“I have to go, but when I’m done, we’re sneaking out of here.”

 

“I cant sneak out of here Tobin, I have to talk to the press.” She lets out a watery chuckle, running her hands over my chest.

 

“Fine, but AS soon as you’re done, you’re coming home.”

 

“Home?” She asks, looking up at me with wide eyes.

 

“Yes home, with me.” I state and I watch as she swallows roughly, tears coming to her eyes as she nods.

 

I try to walk away but Alex holds onto me, not allowing me to remove my lips from hers. I chuckle against her lips after unsuccessfully trying to move away from her for a third time.

 

“I love you.” I murmur against her lips once more, giving her a quick kiss, before walking backwards out of the room, a huge wide smile on both Alex’s faces and mine. The last thing I see prior to Kelley pulling me away is Alex whispering ‘I love you’ to me.

 

I’m so happy that Kelley has to hold onto my arm so that I don’t float away. She drags me along into a room where I’m met with a round of applause from the girls.

 

“Yes Tobin yes!” Ash chants.

 

“God I cant believe Alex did that on national television.” Kling says running her hands through her hair.

 

“I’m assuming things went well by that stupid dumb grin on your face.” Pinoe chortles.

 

“Yeah. Yeah everything’s good. Great in fact.” I say smiling even wider if that were possible.

 

“Good, because we’re playing Wasted Youth in 10.”

 

“About that, would you guys mind changing the song?” I ask.

 

“What do you mean..?” Kelley asks, all of the girls squinting their eyes at me.

 

“Well…”

 

…

 

“Here from it’s original song Wasted Youth in the film Youth, I’m proud to introduce Wolfgang Rythem!” Ellen announces, and we walk onto the stage, waving to the crowd.

 

“Hi everyone.” I smile broadly out to the crowd who looks slightly confused that I’m talking and not playing. “Soooo um because of circumstances that occurred about 30 minutes ago there’s been a slight change. Paul is going to be pissed, I’m sure a lot of other people will be too, and I know this is unprofessional, but hey who doesn’t like spur-of-the-moment romantic gestures right? Alex, this is for you.” I say, grinning like crazy to Alex who is sitting in the second row, looking a little shocked at my actions, and do my best to ignore Paul who gives me an expression of utter bafflement.

 

[Loving You- Paolo Nutini ](https://youtu.be/qy7mDSOAxvE)

 

**Back off loneliness, and hello tenderness**

**I've been waiting for your call for so long**

**It must have been hard just to follow your soul**

**To stick to the road that your heart wants you to go**

**And as you slide through the door**

**With your morals on your sleeve**

**I think it's time for all those morals to leave**

**So let's get down and freaky baby**

**Let's get restless baby, come on get crazy with me**

**And I said**

**When you're loving me, I'm loving you**

**And I love your prowess in the things that you do**

**And it's your flawless soul that bleeds my stone**

**And when you're loving me, I'm loving you**

**And that's when we've got it goin' on**

**So many people think we've got it wrong**

**They'll try to break us but we won't play along**

**So let's get down and dirty baby**

**Let's get restless baby**

**Come on get crazy with me**

I cant help the wide grin that crosses my face as I see Alex smiling up at me, a look of awe on her face. I glance around the room, noticing how most people are tapping their feet even though they’re unaware of the tune.

**And I said**

**When you're loving me, I'm loving you**

**I love the prowess in the things that you do**

**And it's your flawless soul that bleeds my stone**

**And when you're loving me, I'm loving you**

**And that's when we've got it goin' on, oh goin' on**

**I was so stranded**

**I was lost and abandoned**

**I needed another home**

**And you fly in my arms**

**You just fly right into my arms**

**And when you're loving me, I'm loving you**

**I love the prowess in all the things that you do**

**And it's your flawless soul that bleeds my stone**

**And when you're loving me, I'm loving you**

**And that's when we've got it goin' on**

**When you're loving me, I'm loving you**

**And I love the prowess in all the things that you do**

**And it's your flawless soul that bleeds my stone**

**And when you're loving me, I'm loving you**

**And that's when we've got it goin' on**

**It's your flawless soul that bleeds my stone**

**And when you're loving me, I'm loving you**

**And that's when we've got it goin' on**

I finish out the song, not fighting the grin on my face as I look at Alex who is giggling in her hand, giving me a look that shows she can’t believe I just did that. The crowd is silent for a moment before erupting into a standing applause.

 

“Portia why don’t you do romantic gestures like that for me?” Ellen jokes as she walks out onto the stage causing the crowd to laugh.

 

“Alright now that Tobin here has deviated from the program with her sporadic love song, which was fantastic by the way was it not?” She asks the crowd that lets out a chorus of clapping and wolf whistles. “ We’re going to take a short commercial break, stay tuned because when we come back we will be announcing Best Supporting Actress!”

 

“I don’t know who has more balls, you or Alex.” Ellen chuckles as she walks us off of the stage.

 

“I couldn’t let her outdo me.” I smile, about to walk away before Ellen grabs my arm.

 

“I think what you two just did was incredibly beautiful. Thank you both for having the courage to love one another.” She tells me, her bright blue eyes twinkling at me.

 

“I never thought I would be saying your welcome to Ellen DeGeneres.” I say lightly, and Ellen lets out a cackle.

 

“I might be the only one thanking you for a long time, Paul Smith is walking your way in a hurry. Goodluck.” She winks at me, gives me a slap on the shoulder, before jogging off.

 

“Heath.” Paul calls out in a stern voice and I wince, turning around slowly.

 

“What the hell was that?” He asks with his arms spread out wide.

 

“I uh-I you see-I..” I stutter, not able to complete a full sentence.

 

“Do you realize the fucking shit that stunt stirred up?” He spits out at me.

 

“I know.” I lower my head.

 

“You know if I didn’t have people calling me nonstop, and you weren’t you… you would be gone.” He stares at me intensely, causing me to gulp.

 

“Yes sir.”

 

“Don’t do the sir thing, it’s weird. The only thing that is saving your ass from your little stunt is the amount of positive aspects coming out of this, my phone has been going off the hook. You’re lucky you’re so damn charming.” He gives me a small smile which I return.

 

“I’m still pissed.” He points at me “A little heads up would’ve been nice.”

 

“Sorry Paul” I grin at him. “Wasn’t planning on it.”

 

“Well plan on the shit ton of press you’re about to have to deal with, and I’m not just talking about tonight.”

 

“It’s worth it. But it will have to wait, I’m leaving tomorrow for Palawan island, have had this planned for months. When I get back I’ll take care of anything and everything.”

 

“You’d better because I’m not. Stay till the end Heath, you’re not allowed to skip out.” He calls out over his shoulder.

 

“Fuck.” I run my hands over my face.

 

“I’m really surprised we didn’t get in more trouble.” Ash says.

 

Kling grabs my jacket and pulls me down to her level, staring at me intensely. “Tobin I love you, you’re one of my best friends, but if you ever pull shit like that again and put our future in jeopardy, I will fucking kick your ass.” Pinoe, Kelley, and Ash observe quietly, none of us ever seeing Kling this serious about something in her life.

 

“Noted.”

 

“I’m serious Tobin.” Kling states, still holding onto my jacket.

 

“I’ll never do something like that again.” I promise and Kling finally releases her grip.

 

“God damn Kling. I thought you were going to start a fight.” Pinoe chuckles out, trying to lighten the mood.

 

“Just because I’m short doesn’t mean I’m not ferocious.” Kling smirks at us all.

 

“We should start calling you Lyanna Mormont.” Kelley jokes and we all laugh as Kling squints at us before brightening.

 

“She’s a total badass so thank you.”

 

“Ok can we go back to our seats now?” I question, antsy for the show to be over with all ready.

 

“Yeah let’s go. Then you and your lover can reunite.” Kelley rolls her eyes with a smile on her face as she pushes me forward.

 

We make our way back to our seats, and I notice how everyone is staring at us. Most have a friendly expression or even a small smile upon their face. I’m adjusting my suit pants as I sit down when Jennifer Lawrence leans over the back of her chair.

 

“I think what you and Alex just did was awesome.” She says quietly while smiling widely.

 

“Thank you.” I reply back genuinely with a smile of my own.

 

“Me and Alex aren’t super close, but we are friends. She never actually told me about you two, but I gathered that much with how much she spoke of you. I could never get her to shut up about this Tobin. When those rumors started almost a year ago, my guess was correct but I watched as Alex became a recluse. I never thought she’d have the strength to stand up against normalcy and pressure of Hollywood. I don’t know if I could have done it. I hope that one day I can love someone as much as you two love one another.” Jennifer says gently.

 

“Thank you, it hasn’t been easy.” I confide.

 

“I doubt it has, but yet the two of you persevered. Hopefully everything works out for the best.”

 

“I hope as well.” I grin and Jennifer winks at me before turning back in her seat.

 

“You know I never would have thought. Ever. In my life. That you would be sitting next to me, after we just performed in front of all of Hollywood and broadcasted throughout the whole nation, talking to Jennifer Lawrence about the love of your life Alex Morgan, who was also my roommate, in the most casual way.” Kelley comments.

 

“It’s pretty bat shit crazy.” I respond, not stopping the huge smile from crossing my face when I see Alex turn around in her seat to send me a smile and wink.

 

“Bat shit crazy is right.” She breathes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes?? No?? How did we like it??


End file.
